If you know me, you know I lived and breathed musicals during high school. Last Friday, I experienced one of the most bittersweet moments of my life. I held back tears walking in the theatre, watching the performance and leaving my high school.
Musicals are an emotional investment. It was bittersweet because there are few things I miss about high school more than performing on CCS's stage, but I loved seeing some of my friends. This emotional experience known as "the musical" is not just due to the late nights, countless hours of practice and naps during study hall. It's mostly because of the friends you make and the lessons you learn. Some of my greatest life mottos have been learned through my high school musical experiences under the wonderful direction of Mrs. Mary Catherine Schimpf. Here is what I learned from the musicals.
First off, "The Music Man" taught me that someone's reputation doesn't define them. An individual's reputation is what they're known for and can help you anticipate what they will do, but it should never be how you identify them. This is a lot easier said than done, trust me. A person's reputation can change quite quickly, though, especially if they learn to love someone other than themselves or money.
Secondly, "Bye Bye Birdie" showed me that you can't waste your life; you've got a lot of livin' to do! Also, fan-girling all the time is very exhausting.
Third, "Cinderella" brought to my attention that impossible things are happening every day. This means that those seemingly impossible dreams you and I have actually can come true. Just a little faith can go a long way, especially if your faith is in the Lord, and not yourself. Believe in yourself too, though, but don't rely on your own abilities.
Lastly, "Mary Poppins" (far and away my favorite musical to participate in) demonstrated to me one of the most important mottos of all. Keep stepping in time because life goes on. Cliche as it sounds, it is incomparably true to any other saying out there. Yeah, stuff happens. Terrible stuff. But God is always in control and knows exactly what he is doing. He will take any hard time and use it for your benefit, even if you don't understand what is happening or think you know how to better handle the situation. Trust me on this one, you don't know better.
God's plan may cause you pain, after all he did tell us Christians will suffer, but "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Romans 8:18. This means that any pain you feel on earth is incomparable to the joy He will bring us when we reach Heaven. Your loved one died, you'll see them again. Your horror story that you're too ashamed to even think of will not even be in your memory anymore. No one bad will hurt you again and you won't hurt anybody else again either.
Maybe I'm overthinking these musicals. Maybe I'm over analyzing a performance that is just singing, dancing, and acting. But if you've ever been in a musical, you know that it is always much more than just singing, dancing, and acting. It is, for a short time, your life. Don't be ashamed of it, like I was some of the time. If you love being on stage like I do, own it. Don't let anyone dull the light that flickers in your eyes when you step out from behind the curtain. Don't let anyone try to tell you it's a waste of your time to spend hours in a theatre that could be spent on a field or court.
After all, it's your life. Live it.
