The Time Has Come...

...the Walrus said, to speak of many things...

Like grad school. Cabbages and kings would be a welcome diversion but it's time to be a grown up. A task I still find difficult even now, north of 40.

Since my acceptance to Emerson in March, right on the heels of the early application period closing (yes, I'm bragging) but it hasn't seemed quite real. Even when I sent in my confirmation and tuition deposit. It was a huge step toward my dream but I felt stalled afterward. September felt very far away.

Volunteering for Timon at ASP this spring was a welcome distraction and I was grateful to be around like-minded, Shakespeare-loving people. It was a healing change from NYC, where many fledgling actors regard the classics as the vegetables that have to be eaten before dessert. I've said this before - has anyone else besides me noticed how many Broadway shows are based on movies? How many are Disney movies? I know, I know, I've said this all before - and the Lion King, one of the most popular, is essentially a puppet show. In Boston, many shows are based on Shakespeare - Donkey Show, Sleep No More, Best of Both Worlds.

And of course, we have lots of actual Shakespeare.

Volunteering for ASP kept me sane in the limbo period between acceptance and starting school. The dialogs I got to particpate in on dissecting the text and character were bonuses that helped me get back into a seeking-spirit frame of mind. Seeing the play evolve over several weeks also reconfirmed my passion for directing. Then, in mid-June, it was over. I got an e-mail from the department head about registration and FAFSA refused me tuition help because of an existing BA (at least that's what their letter said). And my tuition bill came.

This kicked the school issue into high gear.

So, the timing of Timon was perfect, it kept me busy this spring so I didn't go crazy and gave me a structure and accountabilities. The information on FAFSA and tuition came literally on the heels of the project's end. Along with a sore throat that was followed by a stomach flu.

Metaphysically, it was almost humorous - a sore throat is generally triggered by a block about speaking up for oneself and the stomach flu was probably a reaction to the bill -- I couldn't "stomach" the information. The sore throat was gone by Monday night and the stomach flu hit me Tuesday afternoon. Sickness always hits me quickly and leaves me quickly, so I was fine in a couple of days. By Friday I felt not only human, but actually quite good and I went into Emerson to get some clarity on the tuition issue.

So I knew I had to speak up for myself and had to assimilate the information. The counselor I met with was incredibly patient and detail oriented. My file had been "tagged" for additional information (which might actually be good, it could be they are taking me seriously), gave me three additional forms to fill out, a fax number to submit them to and answered dozens upon dozens of questions.

The meeting was well over an hour and at the end of it, I knew that the tuition issue was getting straightened out and who to talk to for the next steps. It was further confirmation that Emerson was a good choice for me.

It was too beautiful a day, and after the meeting I felt too good to go underground to the train, so I walked over to the Public Gardens. The swan boats are running - I rode them a few weeks ago. I might have ridden them again but the line was too long, holiday influenced no doubt. A little girl was jumping up and down, shouting to her mother about the actual swan swimming alongside of a boat.

"Yes," I said to her mother, who told me they were visiting from Delaware, "we have swans here in Boston." This is proof right there that Boston is better than NYC.

In fact we have an enclosure fenced off, since the swans are nesting. I went over to look at the nest - there had been about six eggs last time I'd seen it. I found Mrs. Swan standing over it, pulling feathers out of her chest. She might have been building a layer of down to help incubate the eggs. Or she might have been stressed over college tuition for six.