Standing Room Only

After a great deal of ticket research and lottery entering this weekend, I ended up seeing a play from "standing room 'seats.'" For two and a half hours, I leaned against a wall behind the orchestra section, my chin resting on a ledge likely designed for a person much taller than I. I shifted my legs when necessary. I stretched a little when I could. And by and large, I had a view as good or better than that of the people in the expensive seats (not to mention quicker access to the restroom at intermission, and a quicker exit at show's end).

The last time I did standing room was about twenty years ago, for a much shorter show that had no tickets available any other way. Standing room hasn't actually crossed my mind much, and yet somehow, this time, the opportunity of seeing a sought-after show without the hassle or expense of pricier tickets was just about irresistible.

And maybe that's a reflection on my life over the last few years. Often, how you want circumstances to be isn't how they are. Often, you have to think quickly, or allow an opportunity to slip away. Often, to get what you want, you have to try a different approach. Standing room might not be the obvious choice for the theater, but just as I have become willing to work different gigs, different hours, different schedules, all with the idea that I might as well while I can, I realized that I might as well stand (and use the leftover funds for something else) while I am still willing and able to do so.

What I got of out of it was not just a good play. Standing room also reminded me that I can choose how I respond to challenge. Faced with the roadblock of lack of availability and overabundance of expense, I found another way. And finding other ways is exactly how we keep from being not washed up yet...