I saw HAIR this weekend weekend. It rocked my world. I saw it once before when they did it at the Simi Cultural Arts Center, but this was the Broadway touring cast, and they were AMAZING. Seriously, amazing. I would kind of give anything to go see it again... and again... and again. They made the cast part of the show and we felt like part of the tribe. It was this beautiful reminder that there is a community of people out there who still share my beliefs in life and love and community above all else... that killing is wrong... that people are too judgmental... but that good people exist. Ah.... the hippie movement may have died with the drug addictions and AIDS that ended the feel-good era, but I believe they started something that will never die.
I encourage you all to see the show, it is worth it. See the commercial:
The only bittersweet part of this... #7 on my buried list. Be in Hair. I would give anything to be a part of the Hair tribe for just one show. I have very few regrets in life, but I will tell you what I do regret. My second to last semester at CSUN, they were doing HAIR, and I wanted to audition, but I found out I was pregnant right before the auditions and decided not to audition. The show would have been when I was 6 months pregnant. I should have just auditioned. One of the main characters actually IS pregnant, and there certainly could have been a pregnant tribe member, but I just went through this stage of "my life is over" when I found out I was pregnant and let it really destroy my perspective towards life for several months. I had a relatively flexible schedule at that time (at least more than I do now with two kids), and I should have auditioned. I think I would have got a role just because of my sheer passion for all things Hair.
But, in the words of my other favorite musical, "forget regrets, or life is yours to miss." I must now just hope and pray that someday I get the opportunity again. Well, either that or convince my dad to produce and direct it someday. It will have to be a while from now though, because I am sure rights will not be available until the national tour is over. Someday.
The Author
- Niki
- I am a high school English teacher, and mother of two charming little ones of my own. I teach in a high poverty urban charter school, while I live in a typical American suburb that has frequently been rated one of the safest cities in the country. It is a paradox I struggle with constantly, but it is my life.
Showing posts with label buried life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buried life. Show all posts
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
My Buried List
I have posted this before on FB, but I am posting it here, just for reference. I made this list last year (based on ideas that have been in my head for many years), but sadly was not able to completely cross anything off last year. This year, I'd like to cross off a few.
My “buried” list
1. Spend a week lying on a remote-ish tropical beach drinking delicious drinks and swimming in warm water. (Condo reserved, airline tickets booked! - Maui- October 2011!!!)
2. Visit Venice and eat real Italian food and gelato.
3. Experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans. (tentatively planned for February 2012!!!)
4. Sit in a Jacuzzi, in my backyard, sipping pink champagne, eating chocolate covered strawberries.
5. Spend a summer in Romania with the orphans. Maybe bring one home.
6. Learn to dance hip hop.
7. Be in a stage version of Hair.
8. Learn to surf. (maybe this year in Hawaii???)
9. Be in a movie.
10.Write a recommendation letter for a student to go to an Ivy League school (December 2010 Estefani & Cynthia, but neither got accepted)… and see him/her actually get accepted and attend (and ideally graduate)
11. Bless another teacher with something really awesome. (June 2011 - Going into details would kind of ruin this, but this was far easier than I thought. I forgot how much little things mean to us poor teachers).
12. Take a group of students to work with orphans in a 2nd or 3rd world country.
13. Get published in something real… like in print… not just on the internet.
14. Go to a protest for something I truly believe in.
15. See Alaska in the summer, when it doesn’t get dark (and isn’t cold).
16. Direct Rent with a perfect cast and as much time and money as I need to make it perfect.
17. Be in a Shakespeare play as a lead role.
18. Make homemade tortillas.
19. Spend 2 hours floating happily in a lazy river.
20. Cruise the Caribbean, stopping at several different islands.
21. Spend a week at Disney World at a nice resort, with a meal plan and everything, not having to worry about money while we are there.
22. Be on the Amazing Race.
23. Convince my mom and dad to go out of the United States, preferably on a mission trip. I would ideally like to come too, but will consider this one accomplished if they go without me.
24. Be in a Flash dance mob.
25. Grow enough vegetables to make a complete salad.
26. Completely and totally surprise Marc with an unbelievable gift.
27. Go to the airport on a random Friday and take the first flight out on Southwest, no matter where it goes (like in Yes Man).
28. Camp in Encinitas for a week with a really awesome RV.
29. Own a Jacuzzi.
30. Learn Spanish… like, fluently.
31. Tour Jerusalem.
32. Go to the Olympics (just to watch, hopefully to watch Marc)
33. Write a letter to the president and my congressmen about something that is really, really important to me. Hopefully get a response.
34. Sit in a tropical waterfall (I have to say tropical, because I have done this in the mountains, but I want to do it in a warm one).
35. Drive across America, coast-to-coast
36. Go whitewater rafting through the Grand Canyon.
37. Be in the pit at a Green Day concert.
38. See a concentration camp in person.
39. See Phantom of the Opera professionally (like on Broadway, but LA or Vegas would work) Tentatively possible - Taking the drama kids to Broadway in January 2012, but I am letting them pick the shows, and I don't know if it will even be there then
40. See the Cirque de Soleil show “Love” April 2011 - See blog for details; it was amazing!
41. Go kayaking in the ocean. (Going with the Pacific Camps junior highers in July - Thanks for letting me tag along Cynthia!)
42. Visit the Channel Islands.
43. Hike a volcano. (This October in Hawaii!)
44. See the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
45. Speak at an educator’s conference.
46. See Robin Williams do stand up comedy.
47. Go tubing in Kauai
48. Take my students on a totally awesome surprise field trip, probably funded by me.
49. Share my faith with students at my public school campus, somehow without getting fired. Spring 2011 - Rather subtly, but found a few ways. We did a "relationship rating" activity while learning about drama, and when I modeled the activity, I rated God as my closest relationship and explained it. I even did it in front of an administrator, and I didn't get fired.... yet. Haha. :-)
50. Plan a huge “thank you” banquet for youth pastors’ wives.
(New Additions- Added June 2011- some inspired by my students)
51. See the Hollywood sign up close and personal
52. Go to a foam party.
53. Ride a mechanical bull.
54. Try doing stand-up comedy in front of an audience.
55. See the aurora borealis
56. Visit India.
My “buried” list
1. Spend a week lying on a remote-ish tropical beach drinking delicious drinks and swimming in warm water. (Condo reserved, airline tickets booked! - Maui- October 2011!!!)
2. Visit Venice and eat real Italian food and gelato.
3. Experience Mardi Gras in New Orleans. (tentatively planned for February 2012!!!)
4. Sit in a Jacuzzi, in my backyard, sipping pink champagne, eating chocolate covered strawberries.
5. Spend a summer in Romania with the orphans. Maybe bring one home.
6. Learn to dance hip hop.
7. Be in a stage version of Hair.
8. Learn to surf. (maybe this year in Hawaii???)
9. Be in a movie.
10.
12. Take a group of students to work with orphans in a 2nd or 3rd world country.
13. Get published in something real… like in print… not just on the internet.
14. Go to a protest for something I truly believe in.
15. See Alaska in the summer, when it doesn’t get dark (and isn’t cold).
16. Direct Rent with a perfect cast and as much time and money as I need to make it perfect.
17. Be in a Shakespeare play as a lead role.
18. Make homemade tortillas.
19. Spend 2 hours floating happily in a lazy river.
20. Cruise the Caribbean, stopping at several different islands.
21. Spend a week at Disney World at a nice resort, with a meal plan and everything, not having to worry about money while we are there.
22. Be on the Amazing Race.
23. Convince my mom and dad to go out of the United States, preferably on a mission trip. I would ideally like to come too, but will consider this one accomplished if they go without me.
24. Be in a Flash dance mob.
25. Grow enough vegetables to make a complete salad.
26. Completely and totally surprise Marc with an unbelievable gift.
27. Go to the airport on a random Friday and take the first flight out on Southwest, no matter where it goes (like in Yes Man).
28. Camp in Encinitas for a week with a really awesome RV.
29. Own a Jacuzzi.
30. Learn Spanish… like, fluently.
31. Tour Jerusalem.
32. Go to the Olympics (just to watch, hopefully to watch Marc)
33. Write a letter to the president and my congressmen about something that is really, really important to me. Hopefully get a response.
34. Sit in a tropical waterfall (I have to say tropical, because I have done this in the mountains, but I want to do it in a warm one).
35. Drive across America, coast-to-coast
36. Go whitewater rafting through the Grand Canyon.
37. Be in the pit at a Green Day concert.
38. See a concentration camp in person.
39. See Phantom of the Opera professionally (like on Broadway, but LA or Vegas would work) Tentatively possible - Taking the drama kids to Broadway in January 2012, but I am letting them pick the shows, and I don't know if it will even be there then
41. Go kayaking in the ocean. (Going with the Pacific Camps junior highers in July - Thanks for letting me tag along Cynthia!)
42. Visit the Channel Islands.
43. Hike a volcano. (This October in Hawaii!)
44. See the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
45. Speak at an educator’s conference.
46. See Robin Williams do stand up comedy.
47. Go tubing in Kauai
48. Take my students on a totally awesome surprise field trip, probably funded by me.
50. Plan a huge “thank you” banquet for youth pastors’ wives.
(New Additions- Added June 2011- some inspired by my students)
51. See the Hollywood sign up close and personal
52. Go to a foam party.
53. Ride a mechanical bull.
54. Try doing stand-up comedy in front of an audience.
55. See the aurora borealis
56. Visit India.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
The Buried Life
So... earlier this year, I started watching this new show on MTV, "The Buried Life." It is a total indie show about 4 young guys trying to complete their buried life, things they want to do before they die. I love this show. Their list is not far fetched things like "solve world hunger" but just little things that they have always wanted to do or whatever. Some of them are big dreams, but still... not totally impossible.
My favorite thing about the show is that it is so real in that they don't always succeed on some of the harder things, but they are just so persistent, it is awe inspiring. Like the episode where they were trying to play basketball with Obama. They didn't succeed, but they got pretty darn close and tried so hard. I loved their persistence. After this episode, I was so inspired, I made my own buried list.
I have always believed that if you shoot for the moon, the worst that could happen is that you'd land among the stars. (Unfortunately, sometimes I do lose perspective and forget that I have landed among the stars, simply because I can't stop gazing at the moon and wishing I had made it there, but this is a personal growth area that I am working on). However... today I just wanted to point out that sometimes it is totally worth it, because you never know when you will actually make it. The only guaranteed failure is not trying, right? Because it just could happen! With enough, persistence...
My favorite thing about the show is that it is so real in that they don't always succeed on some of the harder things, but they are just so persistent, it is awe inspiring. Like the episode where they were trying to play basketball with Obama. They didn't succeed, but they got pretty darn close and tried so hard. I loved their persistence. After this episode, I was so inspired, I made my own buried list.
I have always believed that if you shoot for the moon, the worst that could happen is that you'd land among the stars. (Unfortunately, sometimes I do lose perspective and forget that I have landed among the stars, simply because I can't stop gazing at the moon and wishing I had made it there, but this is a personal growth area that I am working on). However... today I just wanted to point out that sometimes it is totally worth it, because you never know when you will actually make it. The only guaranteed failure is not trying, right? Because it just could happen! With enough, persistence...
This was posted on facebook today. See, anything is possible!
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