Liz's show, the full moon, and some other thoughts...

Early this week, the full moon passed its normalcy-throwing energy over our students and myself. This monthly event requires extended patience in the classroom and stone cold willpower on my part to refrain from the steady stream of tears that erupt at even a television drama. To some degree, perhaps, the moon contributed the events that changed the staff composition in my residency this week. Without placing public judgment on the restructuring of our team, I feel comfortable and positive moving the program forward.

Two things of interest struck me deeply during the course of this week. In our first full staff, post restructuring meeting, my colleague, Meredith Hoppe, said to our administrator that she has learned a great deal about education from me. I smiled, and the conversation continued on its contextual path, but a light feeling lingered with me all day. How could it be that I had taught something to this person I so admired? Later in the week, Lucy Bryson and I went to see Elizabeth’s show, Metamorphoses. My hypersensitive moon cycle affected brain triggered tears to well as Elizabeth, my friend, Liz, spoke as Mrs. Horn to a theatre house full of parents and administrators. She spoke with an ease and confidence that I knew she had but that I had never witnessed in this sort of context. We traveled through 2 years of studies together. We competed, fought, cried, and held hands through entire days of classes. In our course studies, I spent my time reflecting on how I had grown during those 2 years, but seeing Liz speak in front of that high-stakes audience, I realized just how far she’s come, too. As Lucy and I watched the show, I grew more and more proud of my relationship with Liz and the journey we shared together. Liz’s first show as a public school teacher showcased the sophistication, intellectualism, succinctness, physical beauty, and stylistic bravery that she embodies as a person. In the 90 minutes Lucy and I enjoyed the play, the gravity of how much I continue to learn from Liz overwhelmed me.

Meredith’s passing remark and my hypersensitivity during Liz’s joyful success lead me to acknowledge that it is easy to say, “I learned from this experience,” but knowing the exact power of a peer in your life is a profound sorta thing. These experiences remind me to share with the people I love what I’ve learned from them.

For those of you far away and unable to see Liz’s show: she rocks. The parent and administrator support of her theatre amazed and warmed Lucy and I. Her facility is gorgeous. Her students were professional, talented, hard working, and clearly enjoying themselves. For each moment of controversial language or content, Liz and her students clearly approached with care, understanding, and uncompromising artistic integrity. I can’t wait to see what they do next.

Liz, Lucy, and I went out for wings and such after the show, and it was like reuniting with a friend from far away. We live not 15 minutes from each other, but our lives are so different right now we can’t seem to connect regularly. I can’t imagine being so far away from friends and family as Amie and Amanda, but the 3^rd year reclusive solitude remains true for those of us next door to each other, too.