This is the time of year that I most miss my old life, the one of choir director and drama producer. There were always so many people involved, there would be more than 100 people on the stage involved in either the acting, singing or stage hands moving props around that had been built and decorated by a great bunch of people who were fast friends and wanted to put on a fabulous production. I remember going out and buying food for every one at around 1:30 in the morning, I would bring it in, while we sat on the floor and ate there would be others making beds of the church pews and one night I fell asleep on what was supposed to be the seat of God! I didn’t realize I was asleep until I heard people trying to be quiet to keep from waking me. The lady that actually directed and staged everything was a very good friend of mine and her husband was the best at sound and building sets with the help of his son, who eventually took over and did a wonderful job. We had rooms full of ladies busy at sewing machines making costumes, others getting make-up and wigs together and when the production, including the drama, full orchestra and choir (most of which would be in the production anyway) finally came together we were all tired but that is the happiest tired I will ever be in my whole life, and we did it all over again at Easter! I miss the camaraderie and friendships that grow so strong when you are working hard toward a common goal for long hours! This may sound random but when something you have done for most of your life is suddenly swept away the loss is almost to great to bear at times.
Life as we know it changes like the ebb and flow of the tide which comes in bringing great waves with foam and then eases back out to reveal all the things that have been left on the beach and in the edge of the water during the day. When we are young it seems that nothing is impossible to us, we can keep late hours and still rise and shine with vim and vigor, work all day ready to play again that night to go to bed late to do it all over again the next day! We fall in love and make life decisions about where we will live and work and then set about the task of getting it all done.
I actually let a thought play in my mind for a few moments today that made me a little upset, it was concerning what would happen to me when I got older, if I got sick, how I would die… you can tell it was a very joyous moment for me, but I stopped myself and really considered the fact that twenty years ago I didn’t know what would be going on with me right now… then I wondered how so many years had gone by so swiftly and turned to examine myself in the bathroom mirror to see what devastating new things were showing before I started laughing at myself! It’s like listening to Billy Joel sing “And so it goes” and then wondering why you are feeling depressed!
When you think of it you know that yesterday’s gone and tomorrow never comes so all we really have is today. I have always said I don’t need many pair of shoes or a lot of clothes you only wear one thing at a time and I don’t mind recycling so I don’t need to number my days I can only live one day at time and I need to make the most of every one of them! James 4: 13-15 And now I have a word for you who brashly announce, “Today—at the latest, tomorrow—we’re off to such and such a city for the year. We’re going to start a business and make a lot of money.” You don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. You’re nothing but a wisp of fog, catching a brief bit of sun before disappearing. Instead, make it a habit to say, “If the Master wills it and we’re still alive, we’ll do this or that.”
So I will resort to using the famous words of Scarlett O’Hara, “I won’t think about that (bad things) right now, after all, tomorrow is another day.”
Harolene.com 
Now you are talking my langauge. This to wasa my time of year. I loved getting the choir ready for the cantata for Christmas. We usually sang it 3 times. Sat nite, & twice on Sunday. Get so busy you can seem to turn around. Performance time coomes & the tension mounts worse than singing a solo myself. Then boom! it is all over until the next years. I have said many times one has to be crazy to do this every year but if so I love being crazy.
Went to a Church in TX that already had a great music program. However they had spent a bundle on a complete Peavy sound system & nobody knew how to run it. So I took it over & trained 4 different fellows to run it. (Only gave one Sunday a month). The choir & drama dept did the program “Then Came Sunday” & the choir director demanded I do the sound. It was a great feeling doing it from the upstairs booth instead of on the platform. I got a thunder & ligthening tape to use during the time he was on the cross. I had them set up camera flash units to go off as strokes of lighting as I played the tape. I started it real quiet & eased the volume up as the play moved more in to the scene at the cross. When he said it is finished I slid the volume wide open & rocked the building for about 5 seconds. One guy went crazy as he thought it was real. It was a great program & we did it 4 times over the weekend to a packed house each time.
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Sounds like my kind of effect all right!!! Where do us unwanted choir and drama people go??? At least I have some proof via video of some of the good things we did!
Life moves on and so must we… we go kicking and screaming but we go…! 🙂
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I’m so sorry you can’t be involved like you once were, sharing your talents, bringing out the best of others’ talents, the camaraderie. Nothing can replace that kind of experience; there’s a love that fills the bigness. (Reminds me of the hymn, “There’s a Wideness in God’s Love.”) Just think of the folks you’ll have to choose from for productions in heaven! Man, O man! I believe that what we enjoy doing here we’ll continue to do in heaven; like your dad said, his spirit looked like him! One advantage of getting older is that we’re getting closer to heaven. Our bodies are wearing out, but our spirits are getting stronger and more vibrant…anxious to get There! Be blessed and strong in spirit and soul, Harolene! (Have you thought about writing plays with accompaniment for church use?)
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You are too sweet to me! Who knows what the future holds but you are right we are getting closer every day, and that’s a happy thing !
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Yes, a happy day’s a-comin’! I have to say, too, that I erreth in my comment above; the song is, “There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy.” Wouldn’t you love to hear Daffy Duck read Shakespeare? I had a prominent lithp growing up, and still have it, but it’s undercover. Ha!
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You are too funny!!!! 😄❤️
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I catch myself sitting around rearranging songs in my mind without realizing I am doing so. I caught myself the other day doing that to “Look What the Lord Has Done” A little change & there & the sound comes out different, The first year after I stepped down was miserable. I was always trying to question & silently urging the music director on. It was driving me crazy there for awhile. Then I went to a church that had a great director & an awesome choir. They were amazing. He came to me & asked me to help hom. I need your feedback as to what it sounds like to you & what I can do to correct it or make it better. I was in 7th heaven. I worked with him for over a year & it satisfied me. Oh, I still get that burning urge ever so often but I am able to handle it now. God says we will be rulers over others in Heaven. I will give up that position just to be the director of about 100 voice choir singin over in the Pentecostal side where they make noise & get with the program. Thanks.
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Amen !!😄❤️
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