The end of long-term employment takes a toll on many parts of life. For me, one of the bigger effects was the elimination of trips to the theater. While we had always looked for discount tickets, we had diligently and eagerly gone to see many shows, even when that meant paying for the babysitting necessary to make the night out possible. But when money was tight, and a choice had to made, theater was one of the first things to go.
It may be a while before we return to seeing the number of shows we once saw, but I am happy to report that these days (and specifically tonight), enough of a weight has been lifted for us to find ourselves in the theater once more. And for people who live in NYC at least in part for all that the city has to offer, this return has been a big step, a vote of confidence in our ability to adjust to the new work normal. On the up side, we are not compelled to schedule around the long studio days that I once worked at ABC.
It's easy to give up things when the going gets tough, and, almost without fail, the things we give up are the joyful ones. What's hard is to consider the joyful things worthy of keeping, and to work to keep them. So, tonight, going to the theater meant more than just watching stories and listening to music. Going to the theater was (and is) a commitment to keeping things that matter, not just for the basic needs, but for the needs that keep our spirit alive along with our body.
I look forward to seeing curtains rise many more times over the coming months. It's time to go on with the show.
No comments:
Post a Comment