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I hadn't been feeling well enough to string a thoughtful post together, but I've been meaning to say that this is a swell thread.
I wasn't quite sure what to post. Erica's Potter mention reminded me that I felt quite sad partway through the last book that I'd never have a weekend where I went with my best Potter pals (rotated a bit but EH was the constant)... putting on our striped scarves and standing in line, getting our picture taken with the Potter standee, eagerly and voraciously reading through, meeting afterwards at our favorite diner to rehash over hash... If I had to pick only on the merits of the book, it'd probably be Azkaban, but since I read that before our release-day tradition began, I'm not sure what I'd choose.
For personal triumph, I'd relive the opening night of my senior thesis. Theater school was a bit of a struggle; I was the only director in my class who made it through to graduation. And this was despite having a conflict with my original advisor, who dropped me when I missed a class after our neighbors were involved in a murder-suicide. I was often alone, in class and otherwise since the departments bonded with each other (designers with designers, actors with actors) and nobody else was in my class. And I was annoyed with the whole theater "scene" - I'm sure you generally know, but some actors can be really self-centered, and really false. I spent my time mostly outside of the school with a student Shakespeare company I was running, mostly populated with non-theater-majors. But they were fun, and passionate, and in many cases just as good or better than my actor classmates. Senior year, after much arm-wrestling with my thesis committee, I was granted permission to cast two of my non-theater-major company members in the four-woman play that was my directing thesis. We worked hard, and it turned out... well, it turned out exactly as I wanted it to. And opening night, I had the support of my parents, my Shakespeare company friends, even my high school theater teacher. And also in attendance was the entirety of my theater school, and the advisor who so quickly gave up on me because of my "emotions." They all watched, and they all erupted into loud cheers when it concluded. My old advisor pretty much ate his hat - or at least his words - and said that I surely had a future in directing. It was probably the moment I've felt most successful in my life. And, sadly, it was the last time I directed a play. Because I got through all of this despite the fact that I had just left an abusive relationship; when the show was over, I sunk into the depression that led me to Los Angeles, where I never got into the theater scene. So in going back, I would like to reclaim that momentum I had in college. Funnel it toward my screenwriting and film directing. Remember the potential that I have, frankly, yet to fulfill.
And in the realm of love... well, my first date with Tom was great, but it was the second date where we completely took leave of our senses; I'd love to go back to that day for the humor of it, but honestly, I'm not sure we've really regained our senses since we've met. As recently as last night we had trouble parting when Tom went upstairs to bed and I stayed downstairs to sleep upright (sinus infections suck.) We're still deliberating at the end of the night just like our second date. "I don't want to go..." "I don't want you to go..."
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