I think I've taken a full departure from the original purpose of this blog. In fact my reenacting career may be taking a semi-permanent back seat depending on what happens with my unit following Gettysburg next year.
In the meantime I've rediscovered a way to get back into the theatre world, which is something that I've missed since my former theatre group came to a close last May, after fourteen years of performances. I also just scored a singing gig with a Jazz/Swing/Funk band and while I was mind-blowingly nervous before I sang, I did enjoy every moment of it.
For the first time ever I had someone explain to me the meaning of NaNoWriMo and I kinda sorta took up the challenge, writing lots and lots of words. Unfortunately the words took the form of about three different stories, all of them fan fiction.
But I had fun, and I challenged myself to complete some things.
I have also received my Christmas gift early this year. I now have a lovely digital video camera to call my very own and have been making little, mildly comedic videos with it. I have in the past been able to create through the art of stories, songs, plays, paintings, crafts and now, HA HA, I have it all! Follow that with the maniacal laughter of the moderately insane and you have the perfect opener to one of the videos that I have been dying to shoot.
I went for a walk last night. It was dark and cold and as I started out I noticed all of the houses that already had lights up for Christmas. I came up with a great idea for a gift for a wonderful lady in my life. Later in the walk I was heading by the solitary laundromat in town. It, the town grocery and a pizza parlor were the only businesses still open at 8:30 pm. I watched clothes tumbling in the dryers as I approached and noticed a man and woman seated at a table inside the laundromat eating dinner.
Immediately I wished I had brought my camera with me, and wished I had a camera man. I could imagine myself dressing up a bit and barging into the laundromat.
"Hello, I'm Diane." I would introduce myself, shake hands then tell them. "Right now you're on camera. That fellow there is recording you. You have the right to decide whether or not this video is used in any formal capacity but before you do, what is your relationship?"
And just launch into this impromptu interview. Ask questions, get a tableau of exactly what was happening in the laundromat before I went in. Then, as an added twist, just to get a reaction say something like.
"Thank you very much for your time. I would like to tell you that as we speak there are men ransacking your home. They are a part of our crew and we were sent as a distraction to keep you all occupied while they did that. You can call 911 if you like, but of course you may regret it should this be a prank."
And leave...
And see what they do.
Breaking the fourth wall, breaking the barrier of believability. And starting with something good (fifteen minutes of fame?) and turning it into something very bad (btw, while you're gabbing excitedly with what may be your fifteen minutes of fame, your house had been broken into!)
This morning I went for breakfast, listened to a pair of elderly ladies tell a passing elderly gentleman all about a mutual friend. "Hey did you hear about, Shirley!? Oh yes, she broke her hip the poor thing. She fell off the treadmill and just broke it like that."
Then I went to Kroger's to waste time while my tires were rotated. Standing in line at the Starbucks, while a Kroger customer insisted on buying her milk and magazines at the Starbucks kiosk along with her Chai Latte, I heard a woman say, "I swear by my right hand to God, I will get those to you!"
I felt like turning towards her, with a camera planted somewhere back in the veggie department.
"Pardon me, Ma'am. I couldn't help but overhear what you said. I was wondering are you swearing by your right hand, or by God? Which is of more value to you? Where did you first hear that phrase and did you really mean it? If you had to lose one or the other which would you rather have, seperation from your right hand or from God?" Maybe part of the point is that I have problems with people who blurt the first quaint phrase they think of whenever they're surprised, and I certainly take umbrage at people swearing to God about trivial things.
But more than anything else, the woman was speaking loudly and I'm sure, was very aware that what she was saying was being broadcasted to all the other people in line. If she's intentionally putting it out there for us to hear, why not draw more attention to it.
After I get her to answer I'll point out that there's a camera back there, just to the right of the tomatoes, and was there anything else she'd like to say to her audience, or swear to...or by.
I got my Mocha and traveled the store, observing people and pondering my idea.
Since I didn't have my camera with me I can blame the missed opportunity on lack of equipment instead of lack of guts. But I can't help but wonder. How many more people are going to start thinking about what they say, or about how visible they are when they think they are alone, if I were to start doing that?
Or would it just amount to me being precocious and annoying.
Dunno.
