A small dilemma

Here are some activities that I enjoy in my leisure time: listening to music, reading books, and watching films. And I get a lot of pleasure from talking about those things with people who also like them. And sometimes, when I'm discussing them with other people, I can make them look mildly dismayed by admitting that, for example: I don't like Bob Dylan; I don't listen to any Bowie pre-1977; I've never read anything by Dickens*; I think Stanley Kubrick's films could all do with editing; and I don't like Shakespeare.

The fact that I don't much enjoy reggae, the theatre or musicals appears to be a little more acceptable but out of all these things that I don't like, these last two are the ones I seem to get exposed to most, mainly because of having had a number of small children. I am talking about school plays.

That said, when the kids are very small, I enjoy these productions almost unreservedly. There are few joys to compare with the loosely synchronised efforts of a band of four year old ballet dancers, whose joy in the activity and pride in their dancing takes precedence over any technical accomplishments. And nothing made me laugh harder last year than that video of the little girl singing in the nativity. I swear, I was weeping and shaking with laughter. 

At the other end of the school age range, the accomplishments of singers, dancers, actors, and musicians in their mid to late teens can be quite astounding. Somewhere along the way, the dividend for all of that effort is repaid in spades and I find myself somewhere beyond envy. And then of course, there's the middle ground and this is the territory with which I struggle.

This evening, the Minx and I went to see the miniMinx performing at her school in a musical called 'Children of Eden'. Hand on heart, I can tell you that the miniMinx was excellent and worth the price of admission on her own, although she was, unfortunately, only on stage for around ten minutes during this two and a half hour epic. 

The curious decision to cast a musical based on acting ability ensured that there was something a little avant garde in the delivery in the songs, particularly the duet between God and Noah, which I think would have had Steve Reich reaching for his dictaphone. On the plus side, though, there was only tea available during the intermission, so there were no unseemly scenes involving a middle-aged man fighting his way to the front of the wine queue.

The authors of 'Children of Eden' wisely dictate that no photos or, crucially, video can be made of their work being performed, so today's photo was taken on the way to the performance. The Minx and I saw the key on the ground and debated what to do with it. It seemed a little uncaring to see it and just leave it there but there was nowhere we could leave it where it would be more obvious, so in the end, with misgivings, we walked on.

(The lost key in the middle of the street is, of course, an absolute manifestation of my fear that if something is not where I expect it to be - e.g. my house key will be either in my left trouser pocket or on the hall table - then it could be ANYWHERE!)

*Yet. I was given a copy of David Copperfield for Christmas.

****
-3.1kg. FFS. After this weigh in this morning, I went back to low carbing today (whilst still watching the calories).