People in "Real Life"

Do you know what's weird?

When people in "real life" tell you they read your blog. In theory, I know this. My new blog posts are always shared on Facebook and Twitter. Therefore, it's not a secret I have a blog. People read it. My mom reads it sometimes. I have college friends who read it. Some of my close friends read it. Co-workers from my former church read it. But they don't always talk about my blog, so I kinda forget that people outside of the Internet world read this.

Then, you'll randomly have people at church say "I love your blog!" Or you'll go to your college and an old music professor says "Thanks for all of your posts. It's such a great way to keep in touch!"

Um... you're welcome?

Don't get me wrong. It's awesome that people I know read my blog and it's really fun and part of why I started this. It's a way to keep in touch with people and let them know my thoughts and what's going on in my life. I'm glad they read it! For some reason though it always throws me off. Then I get all paranoid of what people think of me and my ridiculousness...

See? Look at what a crazy person I am! Didn't see that in some of my classes at good ol' CUC did ya? 

Or maybe you did and I'm just crazier than I thought.

Oh well.

Anyways, one of my blog friends, Jess, mentioned a Blog Everyday in July challenge on her blog. I think I'm going to try it. I've been in a blogging rut lately and originally I was thinking of cutting back to posting only once or twice a week. But, I originally started posting 5x a week because I did Blog Everyday in May, and then didn't stop. Maybe this is the kick in the butt I need to just keep writing. I won't do all of the prompts because of other ideas and posts I need to do. But sometimes it's nice to have someone give you a topic and you can be as creative as you want with it.

Anyone else want to join in? Check out the prompts here:

http://thedauntlesstales.blogspot.com/2014/06/blog-everyday-in-july-blogging-challenge.html

 

Also, I'm linking up with Mingle Monday!

Yes, Everyone Is Beautiful

Twice now I've heard a theory floating around the Internet. Once it was in a friend's Facebook status. Then again, in an article someone wrote.

The theory is that everyone in fact is not beautiful.

We are always telling everyone they are beautiful each in their own way, and now there are other people who seem to be disagreeing with this statement. In the same way not everyone is good at sports or not everyone is good at drawing, therefore, not everyone is beautiful either.

While I understand where people are coming from with this theory, I disagree.

I feel like the idea we're really searching for is beauty is subjective.

First of all, beauty isn't only about outer appearance. It's also about personality, passion, traits, etc. 

I even went to Merriam-Webster.com and it defines beauty as this: "1) the quality of being physically attractive 2) the qualities in a person or a thing that give pleasure to the senses or the mind 3) a beautiful woman." You can look at more of the definition here.

Yes, the first thing we think of when it comes to beauty is outer appearance. But notice how the definition is also about qualities and how it affects your senses and your mind. It's deeper than skin. 

Beauty can be found in the face, body, etc. absolutely. But it is also found in people's minds, thoughts, souls, hearts, talents, and the list can go on an on. According to this definition, if something gives pleasure to the mind, it's beautiful. It includes so much more than what we usually would think of!

We also have to remember that beauty also varies from culture to culture and time period to time period. Yes, the USA Hollywood culture has a certain view of what makes a person beautiful. For girls, stick thin, tan skin, big boobs, perfect hair, etc. For guys, basically if he looks like he lives at the gym Hollywood would probably love him. 

But even then... there are still varying degrees of this. For example: it's no secret I happen to think Darren Criss is amazing. Dare I say it- beautiful.

I mean... just look at him. SIGH. SWOON.

BUT... I have some friends who have told me they don't find him particularly attractive. (I KNOW. I was as shocked as you are!) Especially when he's just being "Darren" vs. "Blaine" in Glee. 

On the other hand, I know of some people who think Theo James (Four from Divergent) is the hottest man to walk the planet.

Then there's me. He's not bad. I don't find him unattractive... but I also don't think he's beautiful. There are other men in Hollywood I happen to find more attractive.

Does this mean Darren is beautiful and Theo isn't? Absolutely not. It just means different people have different tastes and views of what makes someone beautiful. It also doesn't mean people who are attractive don't have days when they don't look so great. 

I mean... let's be honest. We all have SnapChat selfies we aren't proud of. I'm sure even the most "beautiful" people in the world have these. Am I right or am I right?

Then there are different cultures. Yeah, our culture has one view of beauty. But back in Medieval times, if you were overweight and pasty white you were the hot chick because it meant you were wealthy and were able to have food without the hard labor. 

In some cultures, long necks, big feet (or tiny feet depending on where you are), or extended lower lips is beautiful and attractive.

Here in the USA? Not so much.

Does that mean these people aren't beautiful? Nope. It just means we see it differently than other people and they see it differently than we do. And that's okay.

It's because beauty is subjective. You know, that whole phrase we've all heard: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." We all have different definitions of beauty. 

Seeing things this way, couldn't you argue that everyone is beautiful to someone? In theory, if we were to get every single person in the same gigantic room and everyone got to see each other, do you really think there would be a person whom absolutely NO ONE in the world found beautiful? I'd bet not. 

Everyone is beautiful - even if they aren't all beautiful to the same person.

I think there also can be varying degrees of beauty. If you look at flowers for one thing, maybe there is one flower which is more beautiful than another simply because it had more sunlight or better nourishment or something. Both flowers are beautiful, but one simply might be slightly higher on the scale. So, yes, the painful truth is there are more people who tend to flock to a certain type of beauty. Like in high school how all of the guys seem to like the same sort of girls. (Or so it appears.) 

But even this is subjective. Some people think roses are the most beautiful flowers, while someone else prefers lilies. Neither is right or wrong - because it's subjective. So, just because you don't have the same amount of admirers of your beauty as other people, it doesn't mean you aren't beautiful at all.

On top of all of this - we are all made by the same creator. 

For you formed my inward part; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. 

Psalm 139:13-14

The argument could be made that "wonderfully" and "beautifully" made are two different things. However, in this instance I disagree. God made you beautiful in your own way even if not everyone views it the same way.

I know not everyone shares this view about faith and how we are made and created, and that's fine. But honestly, this is how I see it. God made you, and therefore, you are beautiful. 

I also feel like when we talk about how everyone isn't beautiful and shouldn't strive to be, it almost makes me feel as though it's wrong for us to want to be beautiful. When it's not. 

What's so wrong with being good looking or wanting someone to think you are beautiful? What's wrong with wanting to look good? For a long time I felt as though wanting to dress nicely and wear makeup and do my hair were shallow things, so I didn't except for special occasions. But you know what? I also didn't think myself as beautiful. I didn't think I was ugly or anything like that - but I also didn't think I was particularly beautiful either.

Then as I got older, I started to see the good qualities in my looks. I liked my hair. My eyes. My skin (sometimes). My sister encouraged me to wear makeup on a more regular basis. I started to do my hair. I finally learned to how to pick out clothes for myself which looked good. I began to feel beautiful, so I treated myself this way.

And people noticed. I've noticed in recent years, people are more willing to give me compliments on how I look than they used to be. Once, a mom I worked with at the church told me I was always a very pretty girl, but something had changed in me and I looked really beautiful. I was speechless but also flattered. 

Yeah, I have a lot of great qualities with my personality, talents, etc. But it's okay to add beauty to that list. No, it shouldn't consume our lives and chase after it as though it's the most important thing in the world. It's not. I would rather spend my time with someone who is kind and funny and creative and intelligent who might not be particularly attractive (which, again, is subjective, so who knows what that means) than someone who looks like a supermodel and is a jerk.

I'm not saying I'm gorgeous or the most beautiful person ever. I'm not. But wanting to be beautiful isn't a bad thing. 

And yes, you, YES YOU, are beautiful too. 

Six Months Later

Over the weekend I visited Missouri for the first time since resigning from my youth ministry position. The senior pastor who had been my supervisor for those five and a half years was retiring and there was going to be a special service and dinner for him on Sunday. I wanted to be there. My reasons for resigning had nothing to do with the church, congregation, or staff itself. It was a purely personal thing.

The whole "It's not you, it's me" cliche.

Only this time it was true.

So, I decided to go back and visit.

As I drove the boring six hours down 57, I was excited, but also really scared. I may have been listening to a mix of musical soundtracks and an audio book of The Giver, I still wasn't distracted enough to not think about what would happen over the weekend. Something I've learned since moving back to Chicago is that while you were gone and moved on with your life, so has everyone else. Their lives don't become paused as they wait for you to return.

Intellectually, I already knew this. It makes sense. My life happens, and so does theirs. But when faced with the reality of being gone for five years and catching up with old friends, it's been interesting to see how fitting each other into our lives again works now. It's not the same as it was when we were in college and high school.

For Missouri, I haven't been gone for five years, only six months. Yet, I couldn't help but wonder how things had changed. Did anyone actually miss me the way I missed them? Was there any bitterness to my leaving? Would it be awkward to walk through those halls of the church again?

But I had nothing to fear. 

As I visited with old friends we fell back into step as though I had never been gone. Sitting down to have lunch and talk about the last six months over microwaved hot pockets. Running errands around town with their kids in the back seat singing to Frozen. Catching people at Starbucks and sitting down at a table together to catch up. Late night talks after dinner with glasses of amazing raspberry wine. Visiting the farmers market early in the morning. Laughing and getting sunburned while at rehearsal with my former theatre company. Avenue Q sing a longs at lunch. Catching a late show of The Fault in Our Stars after an outdoor dinner.

It's amazing how easily you can fall right back in step with some people. 

It was Sunday I was really worried about. Returning to church. What would it be like?

Yet, I had nothing to fear. I was greeted with warm hugs and smiles and questions about life. Questions I wish I had some better answers to. They didn't mind that though. As long as I was happy, this was all that mattered to them. It wasn't quite the same with some people and a few of the youth. And that's okay. Their lives have moved on and so has mine. The pastor who over a year ago listened and encouraged me when I told him I was resigning was happy I was there and gave me a hug as he gave me communion one last time. A friend and I laughed to ourselves as we became the snark squad at church. I was able to share life and thoughts with my former co-workers. People grasping my arm to check out my new ink. It was nice.

It's funny how sometimes we build things up in our heads to be something awkward and terrible. When in fact, there is nothing to be afraid of at all. 

It was sad going back up to Chicago again. The drive back was long and boring. I wondered about the choices I've made over the past year and if they were the right ones.

Which, they were, and still are. I know I'm in the right place. I remember how my BFF is returning from her trip to Italy tonight and we can chat over cosmos about how summer has been so far. I think about how this weekend I'll go downtown with some friends to see Motown the musical. I think about some potential opportunities coming up which are exciting. I think about how I have more theatre friends to hang out with and throw Tony Awards Parties with. I think about how I'm here with my family and I can help my sister with her upcoming wedding plans. I think about the church where i worship now and the wonderful friends I have there. It's a good life up in Chicago. Even if I don't have everything together.

But I sometimes do wish I could transport all of my Missouri friends up here to Chicago. 

That's life though, right? Things grow and change and adjust as we make our choices. It's never easy, but it's what happens. And that's okay.

A Little Sneak Peek

I haven't blogged for a few days, which is a bummer. But it's also kind of a blessing because I have been able to think about my fiction writing a bit more. So... that's exciting! I wrote this scene the other day and felt like it was a pretty good peek into what I'm working on. So I thought I'd share it with you.

Please keep in mind, this is a first/rough draft. Therefore, it's not perfect.

***

Blair groaned as she reached for her blaring alarm clock the next morning. Her hand groped as she searched for the button to turn it off, refusing to open her eyes just yet. Nope. Too much effort. Oh well, the song playing was a good one anyways. She listened to the music as she tried to will her eyes open. It was Sunday and only her second day after returning from Europe. Maybe she could sleep in just the one time. The mattress, while being on the floor, was comfortable and all hers. Everything was soft and familiar from the smell of her pillow to the softness of the sheets. No one to disturb a perfect nights sleep. Or morning sleep, whatever. She was still on Paris time. As much as Blair loved it when Derek spent the night, she had gotten used to having her own bed for a bit while traveling. 

Then the song changed on the alarm. This song wasn't nearly as good. Therefore, Blair had two choices. One, change the song and keep listening. Or two, turn the damn thing off and sleep the whole day. But both of those would probably require opening her eyes to find the stupid buttons to press and once that happened she would be awake. Damn.

Blair finally forced herself to pry her eyes open and turned off the alarm. In one, very awkward and sleepy movement, she rolled off of her mattress and stumbled onto her feet. Scratching her head and pushing her long brown hair out of her face, she padded her way to the living room.

"Did I really get bit by a vampire last night?"

A long string of swears tumbled out of Blair's mouth as she stumbled back a few steps. In front of her was Lexi, her curly blonde hair a tangled mess, sitting straight up on the couch. Her now wrinkled Magenta costume rustled against the seat and its skirt pouffed out around her.

Right. Lexi. Rocky Horror. Vampires. Memory and healing charms not working. The fight with Derek. Memories of the night before came flooding back into Blair's fuzzy pre-coffee memory.

"Did I?" Lexi repeated.

"Damn Lexi, let a girl wake up a bit. How long have you been up?"

Lexi folded her legs crisscross applesauce and played with the strands of curly hair flying in her eyes. "Like a half hour or something. I got the coffee going though."

"Of course. I've only known you a day, why wouldn't you make coffee in my kitchen?" Blair murmured as she made her way to the counter. Although she was secretly grateful Lexi had done so. She poured herself a cup and took a long sip before answering Lexi's question. 

"And yes, you were bitten by a vampire last night."

"Shit."

"Pretty much. Let me check out that wound."

Lexi scooted over on the couch to make room. Blair took a seat on the couch and carefully peeled away the bandage Sydney had put on Lexi's neck the night before in the woman's bathroom.

"Are you sure they weren't just creepy guys who thought they were vampires and tried to drink my blood?" Lexi asked.

"Yes," Blair answered as she examined Lexi's neck. It had healed very nicely. Sydney had been able to get all of the venom out stopped the bleeding. Now all Lexi had were two tiny marks on her skin, a small bruise, and only a small bit of swelling. Just a bit of dried blood. If the healing spell had worked it would have looked even better.

"Have you ever seen humans turn into piles of dust like that when stabbed with wooden stakes? Hold on, I'm going to get a wet paper towel to get this dried blood off of you."

Lexi's shoulders slumped as Blair went over to the kitchen sink."Oh. Right."

"Besides, I personally find humans drinking blood way creepier than vampires. At least vampires your blood because it's in their nature and they need blood to live. Humans drinking blood..." It made Blair's skin crawl and couldn't finish the sentence. She actually had dealt with people like that once under the impression it was an actual vampire case. It was awful and gave Blair nightmares for a week. This was part of why she didn't deal with humans much. Supernatural creatures made sense. People were just weird.

"Yeah, that's true. But if vampires are real then that must mean..." Lexi thought out loud.

Blair returned with a wet paper towel and dapped it lightly on Lexi's skin. "Yup. Everything else is too. Werewolves, ghosts, witches..."

"Shit."

"You can say that again. But that reminds me, we need to figure out what you are."

Lexi stared at her. "What I am?"

Blair nodded. "We always erase the memories of the victims and change them so they don't learn about the supernatural world. We also can heal victims. Neither charm worked on you, which must mean you're supernatural. But my phyla always lights up when a supernatural being is around and it's not right now so..."

"Phyla?"

Blair lifted her necklace for Lexi to see. There wasn't a hint of the steady glow it always had when something super was around. Which completely baffled Blair.

"All Guardians have one. They're connected to our souls and help us do different things like heal, find supers, give light, fight stuff off, cast spells, things like that," Blair explained. 

It was more complicated than that, but unless you had a phyla or was used to being around Guardians, you couldn't completely understand. A Guardians phyla was an extension of themselves and part of who they were. It was by their side at all times. If it was farther than in the next room or something Blair could feel this tiny speck of emptiness inside of her. 

"So you're not magic? Guardians, I mean," Lexi asked.

"Nope, just normal people who have been trained to hunt and kill supernatural beings since the age of twelve."

"That's not normal."

Blair shrugged and tossed the damp paper towel aside before grabbing her coffee mug to take another drink. "Anyways, your neck is fine. You can see the marks and some slight bruising, and it's only a little swollen. Wear scarfs and turtlenecks for the next day or two and you'll be fine. You're taking all of this really well by the way. I feel like most normies would be screaming right abut now."

Lexi touched the vampire bite gingerly with her fingertips and frowned. "It's kinda hard to deny when it happened to you. So, I'm something supernatural?"

Blair rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you're not. But it is weird the phyla didn't work on you though. I have a friend who is a master at researching stuff like this, so I'll see if she can dig something up."

Blair glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Anyways, I need to get ready."

"It's Sunday morning, where do you have to go?"

"Church."

Lexi sated at her again. "Call me crazy, but you don't seem like a church girl."

"You'll accept the fact that vampires and everything exist, but not that I go to church?"

Lexi shook her head.

"Okay then..." Blair got up and made her way towards the bathroom, her coffe mug still in her hand.

"You know, church isn't really my thing," she heard Lexi say from the living room. She looked in the bathroom mirror and examined the damage. Yup. Just your typical mess of long hair, jet lag, and lack of caffeine.

"But that sounds perfect today. Being bitten by a vampire is gross and I feel like I need to take a bath in holy water," Lexi's voice continued.

Blair whipped her head around and peered out of the bathroom door. "Excuse me?"

But it was too late. Lexi was already off of the couch, gathering her things, and on her way out the door. "I'll go get ready and be back in twenty!"

"That wasn't an-" Blair tried to say.

Lexi shut the door behind her.

"- invitation."

Ten Best Books I've Read This Year (So Far)

One of the perks of working part-time is that I get A LOT of reading done. I've actually read nearly 40 books so far since January. Here are my favorites so far:

Dark Triumph (#2 in His Fair Assassin) by Robin LaFevers

I started this trilogy last year and WOW! It's incredible. I mean... assassin nuns. ASSASSIN NUNS. The second in the trilogy was a bit darker than the first (which was already kinda dark since the whole thing is about nuns who serve the god of death) due to the back story of the main character. There was definitely a bit of an ick factor which took a little while to get over. However, it works out well and it was fantastic. I can't wait for the final book in this trilogy to be released later this year.

Never Have I Ever (My Life So Far Without a Date) by Katie Heaney

I've mentioned this memoir before and can't stop telling people to read it. Just... go do it.

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Lani Taylor

I can't believe how long it took me to read this trilogy. I bought the first book almost a year before I finally picked it up to read it and WOW. I know technically this is three books, but trust me when I say once you pick up the first book you'll be grabbing the next one right away. 

Cress (#3 in The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer

I am in love with The Lunar Chronicles. It's such a unique twist on fairy tales and the futuristic world genres. It's fairy tales - but those aren't completely what the series is about. It's the future - but it's not like Hunger Games or Divergent. Honestly, think more along the lines of Firefly when you are reading this series. I think so far, Cress has been my favorite!

The Janus Affair (#2 in The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences) by Pip Ballentine and Tee Morris

This steampunk series is so much fun! I've talked about it before and I'd love for more people to get into this series. I really liked the first in the series, Phoenix Rising, but I loved the second installment even more!

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

Why wasn't this book more popular when it first came out? It's Rianbow Rowell's first novel (so pre Eleanor and Park) and from what I know, this author didn't become popular until Eleanor and Park. Although, thankfully, more and more people are reading this one thanks to their love of Rowell's other books. This one was adorable! It's also written for adults vs. YA.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

I'm a sucker for a good WWII story (thanks to my childhood of reading the American Girl books) and a story about best friends. This one is both. Technically, it's YA. But honestly- it's not. It's intense but wonderful and be ready to weep.

How I Paid For College by Marc Acito

This is another book I've mentioned a few times on this blog. Basically, if you love musical theatre, a good laugh, the 80's, and a coming of age story, read this book. Be prepared to have show tunes stuck in your head. "Rivers belong where they can ramble..."

The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare

Again, technically this is three books. But just... all three are just so good! I know other people's complaints about Cassandra Clare, and they are totally valid. I have to say though that I liked this spin-off trilogy more than The Mortal Instruments and I've been pretty vocal about my love of the character Jem. 

City of Hevanly Fire (#6 in The Mortal Instruments) by Cassandra Clare

I know... another Cassandra Clare novel, and after I just admitted I liked the other series more. However, I feel like this conclusion is one of my favorite in The Mortal Instruments series. Maybe it's because of the tie-ins with the trilogy, or maybe I just felt like it was a good ending. I don't know. But I ate this one up!

What are some of your favorite books you've read so far this year?

Linking up with The Broke and Bookish for 10 on Tuesday!

Hacker- A Ted Dekker Book Review

Let's just get right to it, shall we?

Hacker

Author: Ted Dekker

Publisher: Worthy Publishing

Release Date: June 10, 2014

Ted Dekker is an incredibly rare "Christian" author. I've only read one of his books before this one at the recommendation of a friend. (Thr3e) I flew through that book and it was so exciting and fast paced and exciting. What makes his writing so unique though is how he can talk about deep and intense theological/philosophical issues while in the middle of a thriller novel. He also does it in a way which doesn't feel preachy or as though he's shoving his faith down your throat. He also is best seller outside of the Christian novel market, which I find awesome. Therefore, I was incredibly  excited to get an eARC of his latest book, Hacker.

Basic Summary Without Spoilers

Teenage Nyah is a genius hacker who has already graduated college and now, somewhat illegally, works for computer companies. After a tragic accident, her mother is now brain dead, and desperate to save her, Nyah hacks into the security system of a major company with the hopes they'll hire her so she can pay for the medical bills. Nyah ends up way over her head - and inside of it - as her friend Austin shows her how to hack into the most complicated computer of all. The human mind.

The Cover

The cover is perfect for the novel. It's an image of Nyah getting her brain hacked into. It's simple, beautiful, and gives the reader a hint of the crazy technology that's about to happen.

The Premise

So interesting! It's definitely not something I would have thought of. It was a bit difficult to follow some of the genius/technology/medical talk, but I could catch on just enough so I wasn't completely lost to the plot. He tried to keep all of that to a minimum. I also liked the small glimpse into the hacker world.

The Characters

Since the book covers only a few days and it jumps right into the action from page one, sometimes it's hard to catch onto characterization because there's so much action. Nyah obviously is incredibly intelligent, but also incredibly caring. She deeply loves her mother and will do anything to save her. She's also a bit cynical.

Austin is more intense than Nyah. He's focused on whatever it is he's working on and will do anything to succeed and fond answers. Both characters are crazy impulsive. They jump into the hacking of their brains without a second thought and I'm over her freaking out "stop putting holes in your head! That can't be a wise life choice!"

The other characters I enjoyed as well, but you don't get to know them very well. The villain I also felt could have had a bit more depth.

The Faith Stuff

I loved what Dekker had to say. He goes into suffering, why terrible things happen, his theories of what heaven might be like, what surrender is, and it was all great. Such fantastic places to get conversation going and to think about. However, I felt as though those conversations weren't woven in as seamlessly as they had been in Thr3e. With just a bit of refinement I think it could have been done better.

My Overall Thoughts

It was an interesting premise, read fast, and I liked what Dekker had to say. I also really liked Nyah and Austin as characters. It is the third in a series, which I wasn't aware of. However, you didn't have to read the novels in a particular order, so I didn't miss any of the plot. Which was a relief. I do wish I had known the background of the Outlaw character. I found out this could be found in the book, Outlaw. Go figure. It made things slightly confusing since Nyah and Austin knew who he was and I was all "wait... We know this guy?" But he was only in the story a bit, so I was able to move on. My only other complaint would be that it wrapped up too quickly. I liked the ending, but he got there too soon.

I gave this book three stars in Goodreads.

It will be released on Tuesday! 

Finding my Corner of the Sky

Emily's Note: Thank you all so much for your understanding and support with my last post about being tired of blogging. It showed me a few things. One, how much I love my Internet friends and the blogging community. Everyone (for the most part) is so supportive and willing to be there for each other and it's exactly why I do love it and stick with it. Second, how being honest and true to what I'm thinking and feeling is always the best way to go. I feel better about being honest, and everyone seemed to be glad I was honest. So thank you so much! Right now, I'm going to blog as often as I can, but not stress about posting everyday and see where it goes.

In the Broadway world there are two musicals which come to my mind when I think about the "quarter life crisis." The first one which is newer is Avenue Q and is basically Sesame Street for adults. The character Princeton graduates college with a BA in English with no clue what to do next and has to pay bills. Can't we all relate?

Except for the whole thing about characters being puppets I guess.

As much as I love Avenue Q, I've been thinking about the other "quarter life crisis" musical, Pippin. It originally was performed in the 70s and last year it was revived on Broadway and won best revival at the Tony Awards. Essentially, Pippin's story line starts out similar to Princeton's. Pippin (Charlemagne's son) has completed school and he's ready to take on the world and do something "extra-ordinary" with his life. (It's about much more than this... But for the purposes of this post this is what we're going with.) We did this show my senior year of college and I was the stage manager. Usually with musicals I'm involved in, as much as I love it, I always get to a point where I'm thinking "If I hear that song one more time I'm going to kill someone!" But I never got to that point with Pippin. 

The most classic (if not now showtune cliche) song from this musical is "Corner of the Sky" where Pippin shares how he wants to find his perfect place in the world. He wants to know where he belongs and do something amazing. 

As many other Broadway fans before me, I find myself singing the same song. No, not just belting it while driving around in my car with the windows rolled down while other drivers give me strange looks. (Although one did tell me I sounded good. True story.) But having the same sentiments of wanting to find my place. My own corner of the sky.

Rivers belong where they can ramble

Eagles belong where they can fly

I've got to be where my spirit can run free

Gotta find my corner of the sky

But then the other lyrics and messages of the show creep into my head.

Spoiler alert: if you haven't seen the show and don't want to know the ending, stop reading here. I'm sure you can get the original performance on Netflix DVD or there's a bootleg YouTube version somewhere. Watch that then come back.

Pippin tries everything, but nothing seems to work. Then he meets a girl (as one does when you're in a Broadway musical) and starts a boring everyday life. But he doesn't want this life. It's so ordinary! So he runs away. Then, in the finale, he turns back from becoming "the sun" and goes back to the ordinary boring life.

But if I'm not tied to anything, I'll never be free.

I have a love/hate relationship with this part. I love how he doesn't pick glory and fame and all of the things in life which seem to sparkle and shine, but living an ordinary life. How being ordinary is extraordinary.

It's the picking one thing part which gets to me. I have a hard time with the choosing one thing and sticking to it in order to be free. I'm stuck in the part of the show where Pippin is shouting how he's so amazing and can't be held down because he's so "extra-ordinary" and how he'll never find "it."

Never! Never! Never!

Because let's face it, being a renaissance woman isn't very realistic. Can anyone really go from experience to experience wanting to see and do everything? Or do people like me (and Pippin) need to just pick one and be tied to something in order to be free?

Linking up with http://www.lifeofmeg.com/ for Mingle Monday!