Deb and Barb Have A Three-Way

Deb and Barb Have A Three-Way With Molly

Deb and Barbara met Molly recently here on the blog. She has her own wonderful blog called Random Thoughts. Molly has become an invaluable member of our cozy community here at The Middle Ages.

Molly: I want to thank Deb and Barbara for inviting me to do a three way. I’m so honored and thrilled.

From the ages of 8-12, I was involved with a children’s theater group. I had such a wonderful time performing as a kid. What I didn’t realize then was how much being a part of that company was going to shape me into who I am now. Along with an appreciation for the theater arts, I learned two valuable lessons. I learned how to use my voice and I learned how to be comfortable in front of a crowd. While I didn’t make acting my career, (I went into Recreation Management) those two skills have really played a major role in just about every aspect of my life.

One of my many dreams has been to start my own children’s theater and introduce kids to the theater in the way it was done for me so many years ago. I’m not professional (it’s been 20 years since I did any theater) and I’m not looking to make professional kid actors. I just wanted to give some kids a chance to do something they have never done before. Doing the children’s theater was always just a dream that played around in my head and I always thought to myself, someday……

Right now, in my life, I have some free time in a way I haven’t had since my oldest son was born 13 years ago. I’d been thinking about doing this theater for years and over the last several months it was in my brain more and more. Then, through a series of events and visits with several friends, I got to thinking that maybe I could do this. I mulled it over in my head for several weeks, thinking out the plan I would need to have if I was serious about this idea. I didn’t want to tell anyone, not even my husband, until I was sure that I had thought this through.

In May, I announced Auntie M’s Children’s Theater to my family and friends and expected everyone to say, “Molly, that is the dumbest idea you have ever had.” But they didn’t. They thought it was very neat and were so supportive. I held the auditions, directed rehearsals, built the sets, and on June 17^th and 18^th, we had our performances.

Auntie M’s Children’s Theater

The kids, who ranged in age from 6-10, did great, although they had the hardest time remembering to not turn their backs to the audience. I was also very amused that they couldn’t seem to speak loudly on the stage, but as soon as rehearsal was over, they were running around yelling. Go figure.

I knew that if I didn’t do this now, I would always regret it. I had to try. If the entire thing blew up in my face and was a disaster, I could say I tried and move on with my life. However, it wasn’t a disaster. Sure, we had our moments of difficulty, but that’s all it was, a moment here and there. I loved working with the kids. It wasn’t a professional production by any means and I had to accept the fact that several of them would undoubtedly turn their backs to the audience, and they did, but it was OK.

Since the show, I’ve had a lot of people ask me if I’m going to do this again next summer. Yes I am! I can’t wait. I’ve already gotten one script written and have started a second one. So, a big thanks to all the ladies who inspired me to follow my dreams. The experience has been amazing.

Barbara: Molly, this story is so inspiring! For a few reasons actually. One, because you had such a brilliant and wonderful dream to pursue. Two, that you pursued it with such dedication, despite concerns that you might fail. And three, that you pulled it off in such a miraculously short period of time!

I think a lot of us find ourselves holding dreams that we either don’t have the courage to initiate or, if we do, then those dreams don’t have the common courtesy to come true for us!! Molly has inspired me to remember that the bottom line is that it’s about getting your hands dirty. Doing whatever needs to be done. Working your butt off toward your heartfelt goal. And not giving up if someone turns their back on you ;). Because in the end, that is the best and greatest sign of success: that you went for it. No one and nothing will hold it against you if your dream doesn’t turn out the way you’d hoped (and if someone does, well, that’s their problem). Because the truth is: NO dream can come true without someone dreaming and then actively working toward it.

Molly wrote us privately not too long ago to share her story with us. Not only did we ask her to share it with you here, but we asked if it would be okay to include a certain interesting element of that story. Molly agreed. Her email was as beautiful and inspiring as today’s post, but what stopped me in my tracks was that one of her many inspirations came from reading our three-way with Rayna of Coffee Rings Everywhere. The nutshell of that wonderful post is that present-day Rayna has an honest conversation with her younger self. Turns out this prompted Molly to ask herself what her younger self would say to her today. She realized that her younger self would want her to follow this amazing dream. Obviously, this moment was one of many dominoes that lined up to tip Molly’s resolve, but the reminder here too is that there is an amazing power in our collective ability to support each other, either knowingly or unknowingly. And for that, I am truly and utterly amazed and grateful.

Thank you, Molly, for your great story and for this wonderful reminder!

Deb: Molly, I too was so inspired by this story. I LOVE when people follow their dreams. Any dreams. All dreams. Yours is especially sweet because you didn’t have to fight tooth and nail with friends and family naysaying it. You had support. It is as if this dream was sitting here all ready to go. The universe knew it, but was just waiting for you to realize it.

A year ago my sister-in-law lost her job because the people she worked for retired and closed up shop. She is middle-aged but decided she wanted to pursue her dream of acting professionally. Some people were trying to discourage her because of her age and her lack of experience. But she wanted to give it a go. It’s so funny how people will go out of their way to tell you that you can’t, isn’t it? But I thought I don’t give a darn what her odds are and proceeded to help and encourage and foster her dream. For a while she worked with a cold-reading group and loved the creative stimulation. Sadly, time ran out and she had to take a job which she loves but is not in the arts. But no matter what, I know that she would have regretted it forever if she had not tried. GO DREAMS! DREAMS ROCK!

Molly is a stay at home mom of five children, ages 3, 5, 7, 11, and 13. In addition to raising kids, she enjoys weaving, writing on her blog Random Thoughts, is an amateur onomast, and has begun working on her Master’s degree in Library and Information Science . 

And The Meek Shall Inherit The Earth

Barbara: Two disclaimers: 1) I am not nor have I ever been religious, so if I screw up any biblical references (see title), please forgive; and 2) I recognize that I live a middle-class, comfortable life and, as a result, have limited experience with the dark side. 

Deb and I already chatted about the Human Spirit and Human Kindness because we are so moved by it. And I think it’s a good subject to come back to. I am by nature an optimist, but lately I have found more and more reason to embrace that optimism—even as the world goes to hell in an oil-smothered, privacy-adverse, poverty stricken hand-basket. Terrible things are happening around the world––and will continue to do so, I’m sure. From wars to environmental catastrophes to financial crises. But has anyone else noticed how we seem to be pulling together like never before? There seems to be a sense of communal GOOD rising up and reminding us that we can handle anything if we stick together and take care of each other. 

Not that there aren’t terrible stories of crime or power-mongering (and always will be), but people seem to be less shy in expressing their non-violent objections. And in developed countries, this seems to be the most effective strategy possible. I noticed it first in small ways. I am new to the whole modern world of chat-rooms, blogging, and social networking. But when I joined my first discussion forum, I was surprised to see how polite and considerate hundreds of strangers from around the world were to one another. Everyone was universally kind and conscious of social decorum, even while expressing their own opinions and beliefs. And if anyone stepped out of line through crass negativity or rudeness, they were gently but firmly told to back off. It wasn’t long before the jerks either apologized and played nice, or retreated back from whence they came. And I’ve seen this same phenomenon on every one of the blogs or forums I’ve since explored. 

Deb made this comment in response to other comments on Spitting Mad just the other day: “The degree of separation always makes me sit back for a second and go ‘wow, the Internet!’ I know it gets tons of flack, but what a miracle in our lifetime to really connect this quickly and frankly with other people from all over the planet.” So true! 

And the power of nice has worked on the big guys too! Look at BP. They have had such a steady stream of suspicious anger leveled at them that they are trying desperately to come across as concerned and responsible citizens, instead of tantrum-throwing three-year-olds who hide their faces in their hands and pretend that if they don’t see us, we’re not here. Or look at Mark Zuckerburg, founder and CEO of Facebook—he felt he had so much power that he could do whatever he wanted with our privacy. He didn’t care. But the gentle backlash of the Good But Angry People washed so quickly and irrefutably over him that he has been forced to play nice––“I want to be the good guy”––and change things. He wants to be on the side of right. It seems that most people do. The good majority of the population seems to have found its voice and its power. And maybe the more our world gets smaller, the more kindness and caring will insinuate itself into every sphere. Because it works! And so, the meek shall indeed inherit the earth, as promised. Took a millennium since the prophecy, but I think—believe—we are on our way. 

As long as we don’t let the power go to our heads, bwa ha ha…. 

Deb: I live in the world of Pollyanna and Doris Day, so I am always at once shocked and elated by human behaviour. I totally agree that we are making progress in many, many ways. I know that there are parts of the world where things are a nightmare, but there are people living those nightmares who are still optimistic and that is the precious bottom line.

I have made a decision since the new year, right or wrong, and it is working for me. I have stopped reading bad news. Like the Witch in the WIZ: “Don’t you bring me no bad news!” For real. I am done. I have not watched TV news since one week after 9/11 and I have stopped reading the front section of the three papers we get every day. I have decided that if I cannot get off my butt to do something about these things, I am not reading about it. I am sick of hearing of random killings, children and animals being abused, invasions, wars and their atrocities, and the list goes on. Cannot and do not want it in my psyche. So right to the “LIFESTYLES” section go I. 

And look, there is “a nine-year-old who has raised money for cancer with earnings from her lemonade stand.” … Bliss.