Blast from the Past

Today I visited a place where girls dress like boys because there aren’t enough boys to go around, where ‘turn of the century’ looks a lot like the 1980’s, and where scores of Troy and Gabriella hopefuls roam freely. Yes, today I adjudicated the performances of local high school one-act plays. Local as in familiar…very familiar. My former drama teacher directed one of the plays. My childhood boyfriend’s nephew starred in another. One of my co-judges once traveled Europe with me, the other headed the rival program during my own tenure as a high school drama teacher. And half of the schools currently host my student teachers, while the other half host past, present and possibly even future archenemies. It was an event full of drama, excitement and perspective. I have sat where those teenagers sat today, I have sat where those teachers sat today, but never have I sat where I sat today—chief, la jefa, a Hillary-in-training. However, with great power comes great responsibility. This was much more challenging than I would have imagined—indeed my deliberation time while a jury member in New York Frakkin’ City was shorter than the time it took for us today to come to fair, impartial and politically correct decisions. The repercussions of the choices and judgments passed on these local schools today may indeed be felt for years to come…honestly. Yet local also means home, this is my community, my kin, my people, and I loved every minute of it.

Where can you have such an entertaining blast with your past? Only in Utah…

Upcoming entry: "Helen Keller is no laughing matter in these parts."