The Miserables

You probably already know that I love the theatre (notice how I spelled theatre if you have any questions) and luckily I have enough money to see lots of shows.  I budget so I can enjoy season subscriptions to lots of local companies, as well as getting myself to NYC at least once a year.  And the best part is that I have friends who enjoy doing this with me, so we have girls night out a couple of times a month for dinner, then a show.  Heaven!

NOTE:  My regular theatre buddies are Jill, Maria, Helen, and Christie. I also go with my mom and now with my niece Katie back in town, I'm ready for even more.  Watertower or Lyric Stage anyone?

Currently, I have subscriptions to AT&T Broadway at the Winspear, Theater Three, Dallas Summer Musicals, and the Dallas Theater Center.  I love them all, but I think my most consistent favorite is the Dallas Theater Center (DTC). 

DTC just makes me think.  Last night we saw their production of Les Miserables and I loved it.  It is one of my favorite shows ever and it was really fun to see what a local company would do with my favorite show.  They set it in modern day instead of the Marie Antoinette days of old, so instead of shooting bayonettes, they shot handguns.  The hilarious innkeeper and his wife stole iphones and samsonite luggage from unsuspecting patrons in suits and jogging outfits.  Super fun.

If you don't know much about the story, the young male hero (Marius) ends up fighting a battle for the people during the French Revolution in Paris.  In DTC's present day production the battle seemed to be over more current topics such as the homeless, veterans affairs -- many different topics with no particular focus.  I am not a student of the French Revolution (and even though it is my favorite musical, I've never even read Hugo's book <chagrin>), so maybe the battle had no focus then either -- but I had always thought it was about the treatment of the poor by Marie and her cronies.

So last night while I'm watching this updated version of the show at DTC and see all of the unfocused contemporary moral problems that supposedly started the students and Marius fighting the police in the streets, I just kept thinking that winning a war without a focus would be hard.  To really get people behind something, you need a single enemy -- or at least a single cause to get them riled up.

Now, if the DTC show had been put on just a few weeks later in the year, they could have really said something and focused Marius and the boys on a revolution relating to the surge of young migrants from Central America crossing the border into Texas.

That's a fight for the miserables (apparently) soon to be among us.

I JUST SET OFF THE FIRE ALARM!

Yes, I did.  It was in the lobby of Community Partners of Dallas.  Why did I do this, you might ask?  Let's go back to the beginning...

NOTE:  The beginning was about 30 minutes ago, so we're not talking the olden days or anything.  "Ain't nobody got time for that" -- as Sweet Brown would say.

I had made my morning coffee -- using my blessed Keurig -- and was just walking back to my office to start the day, when I heard my office phone ringing from the hall.  It was my friend Jill (she was stuck in traffic).  She wanted to know how Traces was at the Winspear last night since she and her crew are going tonight.

NOTE:  Go and see Traces -- it is part of the AT&T Broadway series at the Winspear and just opened last night.  It is a grittier Cirque du Soleil type performance and it was great.  Bonus:  90 Minutes.  No Intermission.  This always get a Woo Hoo from my crowd!

Anyway, as we're talking Jill tells me that she got a message from one of her friends (who also works with us at CPD) and that she had woken up with pink eye this morning.  I tell Jill that she hasn't called in, but then I look and the red message light is on, so I know that is probably what my message is about.

Jill and I finish the conversation and I listen to the message and yes, Ann woke up with pink eye and is on her way to the doctor, then will come in, but she won't touch anything.

I then send an email to the staff letting them know Ann's status and end the email with "Wipe down your stuff."

Since I don't tell the staff to do anything that I wouldn't do myself (this is mostly true -- hey, I put in my time, people -- I've even plunged toilets), I got out my package of Clorox Wipes (keep my own under my desk at all times) and started wiping down places where I know Ann might have touched yesterday.

This gets me to the lobby with the wipes and Lauren and I are both going over stuff.  I am rubbing the door knobs, the door locks, the alarm pad, etc., and while I'm at the alarm pad, I see the fire alarm thing.  You know -- this:

Now I know that Ann had not touched the fire alarm, but it looked dusty, so I just quickly decided to give it a quick wipe down and that was all she wrote.

ALARM SOUND UNBEARABLE ALARM SOUND!

Luckily, we are blessed to be part of The Meadows Foundation's Wilson Block, so lickety split a super cute Dallas police officer was here and stayed with us until the Meadows maintenance staff got here to shut the thing down.  The alarm probably only screamed for 10 minutes, but it felt like a lifetime.

And to add insult to injury, we had a group of volunteers arrive (early) while the thing was blaring, so while Vanessa ran to keep them outside (in the 90+ degree heat), I had to go out and explain to them that I was the idiot who set it off and that they didn't need to be scared.

NOTE:  You may be surprised to know that volunteers don't exactly relish the idea of entering a building with a huge-ass fire alarm blaring and a police car outside.

So, what did I learn from this?

• Be careful -- I didn't think about how quickly I could set the alarm off. 
• Be grateful -- for the fabulous Meadows staff and security and for my great staff who jumped into action to keep normalcy with one another and the volunteers.

And Ann needs to stay away from people with pink eye.

The Hangover Excuse

Where were you on Friday night at 7:45 pm?

I was sitting between Maria and Helen seeing the opening number of Catch Me If You Can at the Dallas Summer Musicals.  We had finished a quick dinner at Salum and rushed down to Fair Park, just in time to be seated for the show.  The opening number is "Live in Living Color" and it was just getting going at 7:45...

At 7:45 pm Friday 5-week-old Spencer Claire White was alone with her 20-year-old father in Garland.  The father said he had a hangover and a headache and was trying to quiet the baby when according to The Dallas Morning News he "placed his hand around the back of her neck and squeezed too tight".  You can see part of his jailhouse interview here from WFAA:  http://www.wfaa.com/news/crime/Man-accused-of-killing-baby-talks-to-News-8--191895301.html

When a child dies -- and it makes the news -- we shake our heads and talk about the tragedy of the death.  About how someone could do such a thing.  About what sort of person could do that.

Where were you when Spencer Claire died?  Most of you were probably having dinner or watching TV or any number of "normal" things.

I wish Spencer Claire had been with me.

Hugh Jackman is Staring at Me

Hugh Jackman is staring at me right now, even as I write this post.

I promise you he is -- come to my office and I'll show you.  Actually, he'll stare at you too.  I have a poster of him in my office from when my friend Jill and I saw him on Broadway last year.

NOTE:  That man works a crowd -- believe me, he lost 5 pounds just during the hour and half we were with him.  Go and see him if you ever get the opportunity.  Great entertainer.

When Hugh first came to the office with me, I looked at him a lot.  We joked around the office that people were just coming to meet with me so they could see Hugh -- Ann was particularly interested in my feedback on her financial reports for a couple of weeks -- and we all had fun with our resident man in the building.

But that was then.  Nothing has changed, but now I rarely even notice Hugh.  He's still staring, but I just don't notice.  Hugh is no longer new.

Something new makes us all excited, I think.  Of course Hugh makes some of us more excited than others, but I digress...

A new idea gets our creative juices flowing.  A new delicious treat (Lately I'm loving the apricot oatmeal bars from Whole Foods -- yum!) tastes fantastic.  A new dress makes us look way better than we did just 5 minutes before. 

I'm not saying it's right, but in my mind it is a pretty universal truth -- new is good.

And if you are a child who has been abused, you need something new because that new outfit is going to help you to feel special and yes, good.

Thanks for helping us provide new stuff for kids involved with CPS through our Rainbow Room Program.  It matters a lot.  If you want to make a donation, go to our website at www.CommunityPartnersDallas.org and click on the donate now button.  I did for my #FundraisingFriday gift.

Hugh is still staring. 

Am I creative?

How do you know if you’re creative? 

I’d like to think that I am, but when I really examine my “creativity” I think that it is more that I am pretty good with words AND I’m good at knowing a good idea when I see one and being able to adapt it to fit my needs.  But I don’t really think that that is creative – it’s being good at recognition and follow-through.

A big part of my “success” in my work and in life is being at the right place at the right time, combined with recognition and follow-through. 

Guts are needed too – probably more than brains.  What do you think?

P.S.  My #FundraisingFriday $10 gift is going to the Undermain Theatre.  They are very creative!

Civilized Society's Secret Code Revealed!

There is a code among civilized society, but some people don’t know the code.

Mothers teach it to children.  Bosses teach it to employees.  Wives teach it to husbands.  Friends teach it to friends.  Every person who is close to me at some point in time has heard about the code from me, or they have told me about the code.

Do you know what it is yet?

It is the Forgotten Name Code (FNC).  The FNC is multifaceted, so hold on to your pants...

When someone walks up to you and your friend – at a party, in a theater lobby, at a meeting, at a volunteer day at Community Partners of Dallas, wherever – and that person greets your friend and your friend does not (in turn) introduce you to that person, you must introduce yourself to that person, so then hopefully the stranger will tell you their name because your friend has obviously forgotten the stranger's name – otherwise your friend would have introduced you.  Your friend can then respond with something like:  “Oh, I’m sorry that I didn’t introduce you to Mary – Sue this is Mary.”  This is the most commonly used scenario of the FNC.  Extremely helpful to all concerned. 

Now, sometimes the stranger will just respond to the above by saying “nice to meet you” and not tell you her name.  At this point, you have two responses:  1) Do nothing.  Your friend is the one who looks bad because they’re the one who can’t remember this long-lost friend’s name, so what do you care?  2) Look directly at the stranger and say something like “I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name?”  You must do this if you really like the friend you’re with and you don’t really want to hear her try to remember that person’s name for the rest of the night!

A variation of the FNC is sometimes performed in the following manner:  You see someone approaching you who you really don’t know well or maybe you just haven’t seen them for 20 years.  You recognize their face, but have no idea of their name.  When this happens to me (as it did last night at The AT&T PAC during the pre-show reception for In the Heights), I always put a big smile on my face and say in a very familiar way “Well, hello!  I’m Paige McDaniel.”  The hope is that this person will return the favor and say “Oh, hi – it’s Mary Smith – how about those days at Camp Longhorn together?”  This is the best of all possible worlds.  But, of course, many times this person will respond to you with “Oh, I know who you are.”  Ugh.  For God's sake people, if I remind you of my name, remind me of yours!

And of course sometimes the FNC just goes to hell and you must admit that you cannot remember the person’s name.  Something like “Oh my gosh – I am just having a brain freeze and cannot remember your name and I simply must introduce you to Joanna...” is required.  Don’t feel badly about admitting this.  It does help that the older I get the more people tend to forgive this – they know my old brain has trouble sometimes.

The FNC is helpful to all of us – the stranger, the old friend, and the forgetful person – once you know the FNC, you won’t allow these uncomfortable social situations to occur. 

Of course, the best thing would a universal rule that every living human being must wear a nametag at all times.  And as someone who raises money for a living – that would be paradise.

I hate Beverly Drive.

I hate Beverly Drive.  Well, let me be more specific – I hate the construction on Beverly Drive.

It was one thing when it was just the blocks between Westside and Douglas – annoying, but I could maneuver around that pretty easily.  Just made one or two different turns in my route and I was fine.  It was almost fun to see some new scenery.

But now that they have also closed the block between Douglas and Preston, my life has been significantly impacted.  Traffic on Preston during busy hours is a nightmare.  I pretty much have to take Beverly to get to my mom’s house – and if you know me, you know how often I have to get over there – and Beverly is just my best thoroughfare to get really anywhere.

I hate it.  I hate having to think.  Before, I could just auto-pilot my way to where I was going while belting out some Broadway show tunes.  Now I forget about the road closure and all of a sudden – damn. 

Now I have to think.  If I forget, I end up getting stuck in traffic or maneuvering way out of my way.

It is different for an abused child.  A little girl may have small periods of normalcy while mom and dad are “up” and all is fine, but the most part of her every day is spent living in fear – living in the moment – with ever-present danger all around.

There’s no forgetting it.

A teen survivor of child abuse told me that when he was a young boy he really didn’t think a lot about the future – he just kept thinking about how to make it until the next day.

The next time I forget and find myself faced with the Beverly construction, I’m going to remember him.

Defying Gravity

Vanessa Soper, the Director of Volunteer Services at Community Partners of Dallas, gave me a book to read during my recovery last month. 

I almost never read anything other than fiction (don’t get me started on Cleopatra – ugh), unless it is work related, so when Vanessa handed the book to me, I wasn’t exactly thrilled.  A non-fiction book about a football player is just not my kind of stuff. 

Well, thank God for Vanessa, because I read it over the last couple of days and I want to recommend it to you.

The book is by Michael Oher with Don Yaeger.  Michael is an offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens and is also the young man depicted in the movie, The Blind Side.  The book is called I Beat the Odds.  It is the story of Michael’s life and it is truly inspirational.  His journey through childhood with a mother on drugs, his firsthand account of the CPS system, and his ultimate triumph of living his dream of being a professional football player, makes for a great read.  Here is just one tidbit from the book:

Martin Luther King, Jr., had a dream, and so does every kid in foster care.  Our dreams might not be as big as his were, but they are just as important.  Having some kind of goal is absolutely essential for kids trapped in poverty and bad family situations, because if we can’t hope that things might be better someday, then we basically lose a reason to live.  It’s a lot easier to fall down, or stay where you are, than it is to fight gravity by trying to pull yourself up. 

Having a dream can be the first and most important step in making it out of the system.

Isn’t that great?  I want to thank our donors and volunteers for helping CPD to inspire dreams – and for helping kids to defy gravity.

P.S.  Note the little Broadway reference.  I've gotta be me.  Oops, another one.  I gotta quit.

It turned out alright for Annie, didn't it?

When I got in my car to drive home from work last night, I heard an old song.  I am pretty addicted to the Sirius Satellite Radio Broadway Channel, so I hear showtunes whenever I am in the car.  And just like regular radio, they tend to play the same songs over and over.  But yesterday, I heard one that I hadn't heard for awhile -- "Maybe" from the show Annie.  Here are the lyrics:

Maybe far away
Or maybe real nearby
He may be pouring her coffee
She may be straightning his tie!
Maybe in a house
All hidden by a hill
She's sitting playing piano,
He's sitting paying a bill!

Betcha they're young
Betcha they're smart
Bet they collect things
Like ashtrays, and art!
Betcha they're good --
Why shouldn't they be?
Their one mistake
Was giving up me!

So maybe now it's time,
And maybe when I wake

They'll be there calling me "Baby"
Maybe.

[ From: http://www.metrolyrics.com/maybe-lyrics-annie.html ]

I was a big fan of the show 100 years ago when it came out and I loved this song then.  Isn't this how every child feels who was given up?  But things turned out alright for Annie, didn't they?

I want to thank all of you great parents out there who love and honor and protect your children.  And I also want to thank those of you were brave enough to give them up for a better life.