Veruca Salt

Tonight, my daughter made her Middle School Play debut as Veruca Salt (the one who says "But Daddy, I want it now!) in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  Over the last month of four day a week rehearsals, I have rarely heard her practice, so my idea of what I might see was based solely on my memory of the movie (the Gene Wilder version), which may be my most watched movie of all time.  And tonight, when I saw her strutting and screaming at her onstage dad and wriggling herself across the stage as if 100 squirrels were dragging her, I was impressed--and surprised.  I don't know what she's channeling to be that spoiled, screamy person--hopefully not something that I have done wrong as a parent--but how lucky is she to get all that out on stage!

As a mom and a worker and a person interviewing for jobs, I am not really allowed to scream and writhe on the ground when something doesn't go my way.  My saying "I want it now," doesn't mean I will get it.  "I want it now," said to a hiring manager, doesn't get you the job.  "I want it now," said to a mortgage company doesn't get your debt reduced.  Sad, isn't it?  We grownups are expected to go with the saying from the oft-seen sign "Stay Calm and Carry On."

So I will happily watch my daughter "get it all out" on stage (surprisingly, the famous movie line "but, Daddy, I want it now!" is not actually in the stage play) while I "stay calm and carry on.". The good news--I won't get thrown down the rubbish shoot by squirrels in a chocolate factory.