I feel like I'm blowing dust off of an old journal.
Though, this isn't the first time this has happened, is it? Oops.
When I think back on the past few weeks, I can only see a whirlwind of two things:
1) Chicago
2) Humanity
And they're pretty much unrelated.
Chicago and the opening of this sequin-filled musical has dominated my life the past couple of weeks. I look at my planner ('cause I'm a paper planner kinda lady) and the first two weeks of May have so much jammed in them. Ads due, playbill deadlines, filming to be done, photos to pick and choose. And opening weeks, man, opening weeks are nuts. I had one day where I was at the theatre working for 14 hours.
The reprecussion of this musical being open and on stage?
"Give 'em the old razzle dazzle, razzle dazzle 'em..."
"They had it coming! He had it coming! If you'd have been there, if you'd have seen it, I bet that you would have done the same."
On repeat in my head. Daily. I think I've memorized most of the lyrics without meaning to.
Humanity is mostly what I want to talk about though.
In the past two weeks I have witnessed and been a part of several things that have just squeezed my heart and made me want to sing with happiness.
There was the woman who bought my Starbucks drink for me at the drive-thru on Sunday. I had just finished the
Color Run (a 5k where they throw colored powder at you every kilometer- the best, really) and was with my mom (since it was Mother's Day and she's the best sport out there and drove into Seattle with me). I was doused in color, had it all over my face and arms and just my entire body. To reward myself for a 5k (and of course put back on any calories I might have burned) and because I wanted to spoil my mom, we went to Starbucks and ordered our drinks. It was a long wait and when I got up to the window, the barista said, "Your drink is paid for! The lady in front of you bought it for you."
"What?! Oh my gosh. Are you serious?
Why?"
"She said you were all colored up and she wanted to buy your drink!"
I didn't know what to do.
So the only thing I thought I could do was buy the drink for the person behind me.
I mean, why not? I was planning to spend that much on my own drink and my mom's.
I'm still stunned by the humanity of this woman, though. She saw that I had multiple colors on my face and just... bought my whole order. Kindest thing, and I couldn't even do anything for
her.
And then there are the little things.
I watched a mama duck and her little following of ducklings cross a busy street last week. Every single person stopped for her (and her bad judgement in timing traffic). And off she waddled, leading her kids all in a line to the nearby wetlands.
The dog walking his owner so proudly down the sidewalk the other day just got my heart. Sure, his owner was holding onto the leash. But so was the Golden Retriever. He was just trotting along, leash in mouth, tail wagging, and looking like the happiest dog out there. He probably was too ;)
And tonight. Tonight at this lecture of Food in Art, put on by an awesome art historian at our local library. I shyly came in by myself (because I'm a nerd about food, and food in art? I may have written a paper about that for my Hellenistic Greek class a year ago) and was immediately embraced by the nine or ten 70-something-year-old women.
"Oooh, we have a youngster in here!"
"You have a minor in Classics?!"
They quickly learned my name and the presenter made sure to engage me in all of the Pompeii food frescos and look my way when referencing Botticelli's Aphrodite shell photo.
What really nearly brought me to tears was the woman who approached me afterward, as I was looking at the books on display about food. She chatted with me and before she left, she said, "Congratulations on your studies and where you are, and good luck with your future; your aspirations and being a food journalist."
She
congratulated me. For being me. For loving what I love (classics, food, writing, photography, coming to a library lecture with a bunch of old ladies and loving every second of it).
I wanted to give her a hug and invite her over to dinner.
I just.
I can't even get over the kindness of people in my small corner of the world. The little things they do, the happiness they give.
The Color Run had a million examples of that, of happy and kind people.
The theatre's Gala I volunteered at the night prior to the Color Run (fancy smancy at the Fairmont Hotel) had that within a few volunteer friends I made.
But tonight just got me.
Humanity, and people. They just want to help and be heard and be loved.
Really, it's the best.
