Our Town, Our Turn, Our Daughters

I was in heaven. Two beautiful daughters on stage for the college production of Our Town, and everyone wearing costumes carefully created by my beautiful wife, Kelly. It was wonderful, and, as I suppose art is supposed to do, it made me think.

I laugh at lines others do not seem to get, but I also cry freely when emotions are high, and there is plenty of emotion in Thornton Wilder's work. It drags at times, and is too preachy too often, but it makes well the point that life is short and that we better tend to our relationships while we can because even the best ones don't last long.

For example, when Libby Lu is on the ladder with her play brother, having a typical, meaningless brother/sister exchange, I wonder how many of us are reminded of our own siblings, of opportunities lost now that we are all older. After Gracie dies, and she goes back to her 12th birthday and talks with her mother, my heart aches because too often we just don't see the treasure right in front of us, or that used to be right in front of us.

Her line wounds me each time I recall it: "Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you. Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it - every, every minute?" Like Jim Rohn says, most of us spend all of our time just getting through the day, rather than getting from the day.

Kelly and I are blessed. Our grandparents are gone, but our parents are here, and we both have brothers. We have children, some at home, others on their own. We have grandchildren. We have friends, we have some level of influence. We have each other. We have time, we have opportunity. Like most of us, we have a life too wonderful.

We realize that. If only we could schedule in a few hours to enjoy it....