There And Back Again: A Joplin Tale by Lauren Elizabeth (Part 4)

I can hear the "Lord of The Rings" them playing in my head...

Here we are, back in Joplin... But we're almost done. *sigh*

Once again, we woke up at 6:00 -- well, everyone else did. I was exhausted, and we didn't have to be anywhere for two and a half hours, so I went back to sleep for a while longer. When I woke up, everyone had gone to walk through the near-by cemetery, which I would normally have felt excluded because of, but 6:00 AM is far too early to walk anywhere, in my opinion. I was just glad no one had woken me up.

I migrated myself to the cafeteria for breakfast. After about five minutes, Ezakiel, Zekery, Robert and Wesley walked in, all looking rather groggy. For a while we sat around the table discussing the zombie apocalypse (they're boys -- what did you expect?), and then it was time to begin loading up the trailer with costumes and props. We even did some last-minute cleaning, which Wes and Julie and I appreciated.

Then we were pulling out of the parking lot and heading out. I rode with Julie and Mr Roberts, and for a while we listened to some political radio show that I'd never heard of, but Julie and I both have the inclination towards this sort of thing, and really enjoyed it. And then we pulled up in front of the school at which we were to perform:

For a while we rehearsed and chilled in the theater...

... which is huge stage. It was weird being on a stage this big.

Family resemblance, anyone?

Then we went to lunch at a burger place and discussed my hatred for ketchup (I took quite a verbal beating for that... Apparently, ketchup is the bomb. Not according to my taste buds, it's not.) and quoted some serious "Lord of The Rings", a much more fun topic than ketchup, in my opinion. I stinkin' adore those movies.

Then on our way back to the school, we pulled up in front of this:

This is called The Wall of Hope. It's just a regular wall that people from all over America have graffitied on.

They've also signed it.

We freaked. It's beautiful.

It was powerfully uplifting. This wall of hope and faith and joy in the middle of so much destruction... I couldn't help but smile and get a bit teary-eyed.



Cast, crew, and friends of "The Importance of Being Earnest"
Top Row, from Left: Jameson, me, Morgan, Willard Philmore, Wesley, Ezakiel, Wesley P., Sarah, Zekery
Bottom Row, from Left: Robert, Julie, Jo, Anna, Maddie, Rebecca



When we finally finished obsessively snapping photos, we hopped back into our cars and headed back to the school.

Now the drama teacher took us on a tour. First we went to the band hall...

Is that not fabulous? (I used to be in the percussion section in band.)

Then the gym (where Maddie and Rebecca ballroom danced across the floor)...

Then the wrestling room...

The drama hall...

The green room (which echoes wonderfully, and where we burst into an instinctive and rousing chorus of "Iowa Stubborn" from the Music Man, our last play -- as Jameson says, "It doesn't take much".)

The hallways that contained the lockers, as well as glass display cases that have things like this little booger in them...

As well as some beautiful ceilings...

... then the library, in which Wesley and I were very tempted to shout "IT'S A LIBRARY", because, you know, you're not supposed to shout in a library (I know, we're dorks)...

And got back to rehearsal.

Uh.

Ahem.

Hem... haw...

It didn't exactly go so well.

I mean, we did a read-through, practiced blocking, ran through the play. But I was having trouble enunciating. And people weren't getting to the stage on time. And Robert and Wil were in the green-room when they weren't supposed to be. And Julie and Sarah got locked outside. And there were only five people doing scene changes -- where was everybody? And worst of all...

It started to storm outside.

Eventually we all managed to get everyone back on-stage and get through the rehearsal.

But as we went out to the hall for dinner, we could see the deep, dark, angry clouds outside. We could see the lightening and hear the thunder. I couldn't eat, I just wasn't hungry.

I mean, the last time the Stained Glass people were in a theater, there was a tornado; now they're going to come back for the first time, and it's storming (seriously storming) outside. I can only imagine what that must have been like.

We were scared.

As I tried to swallow my fries, I noticed that Julie was leaning by herself against the window. I walked up to her, asked her what was wrong.

"I don't know," she replied.

I took her into the little room-between-the-lobby-and-the-door-leading-outside (I'm sure there's a technical term, but whatever...), where she explained to me that when we were doing the scene change and everyone was gone, she had suddenly begun to feel very, very nervous. Something in her gut hadn't felt right, and then she'd come out and seen the storm and her heart had begun pounding and she'd started to feel like she needed to cry... It had gotten to the point where when she stretched at all, she would feel a sharp physical pain in her chest.

It sounded like she was having an anxiety attack. I prayed with her, angrily casting out any demons of fear and calling on God to give us strength, hope and patience. Then as we said "amen" and I saw Julie's eyes fill up, I told her that it was just fine to cry, and she did. Then we just sat and talked for about half an hour. And when we were done, as we headed back into the theater, I noticed that her shoulders were straighter and her smile looked normal.

Can I just say that I love that girl? 'Cause I do. Love you, Julie!

So then we did some worship, singing along to Wil's guitar, and then we began to put on costumes and make-up. As we changed we sang aloud our favorite worship songs, prayed aloud and made declarations in God's name over the group. The members of Stained Glass came backstage and we got in a circle and prayed as a family (me in full costume, makeup, and scull-cap, but no wig -- must have been a pretty sight) and somehow, though almost all of us cried, I mean really wept, as we stood together, we walked away with smiles on our faces. We found ourselves happy and joyful and full of energy. I put on my wig, and the play began.

The set (before the audience came -- don't worry, there were WAY more than five people)

Julie (Mrs Lane) and Wesley (Algernon "Algy" Moncrieff)

Jameson as John "Jack" Worthing, otherwise known as Earnest Worthing

Frowny face >:(

Maddie as Gwendolen Fairfax and myself as Lady Augusta Bracknell (I'm the one with the black hair and brown dress)

"I am always smart, am I not, Mr Worthing?"

"Good Heavens! Mrs Lane! Why are there no cucumber sandwiches?!"

"My own Earnest!"

"Mr Worthing! Rise, sir, from this semi-recumbent posture! It is most indecorous!"

"Do you smoke?"

One of the best pictures we got from the whole performance :)

End of Act I

Morgan as Miss Laetitia Prism and Rebecca as Cecily Cardew

Wil as Dr Frederick Chasuble; "My metaphors are drawn from... BEES! Heheh..."

"Because you are like a pink rose, cousin Cecily."

"You are too much alone, dear doctor. You should get married."

"Mr Worthing! I hope this garb of woe does not betoken some terrible calamity!"

"I intend to lead a better life in the future!"

Painful handshake there, eh, Algy?

"Well, I don't like your clothes!" "OH!"

"You will marry me, won't you, dear Cecily?" "Of course I shall!"

"I wish you were fully forty two, and more than usually plain for your age."

"You have filled my tea with sugar..."

"A gross deception has been practiced on both of us."

"I can't eat muffins in an agitated manner; the butter would probably get on my cuffs!"

"Gwendolen?! What does this mean?!"

"I never dreamed for a moment of allowing that to stand in my way!"



"Miss Cardew cannot marry without my consent until she comes of age, and that consent I absolutely decline to give."

"May I ask if it is in this house that your invalid friend Mr Bunbury resides?"

"Miss Prism!!! Where is that baby?!"

"This is a matter of no small importance to me, Miss Prism. I insist on knowing where you placed that handbag!"

"You are the son of my poor sister, Mrs Moncrieff -- and consequently, Algernon's elder brother."

"Being the eldest son, you were naturally christened after your father!"

"Earnest... John!"

"I always told you, didn't I, Gwendolen, that my name was Earnest? Well, it is Earnest! I mean, it naturally is Earnest!"

"Yes, I remember now that the General's Christian name was indeed Earnest. I knew I had some particular reason for disliking the name."

"I now realize for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest."

And just like that... it was over. Curtain call. Curtain close. We hand the donations (a substantial amount, thank Jesus!) over to the head of the Stained Glass Theater. We shake hands and greet the audience-members. We change and wash off our makeup for the last time. We stow away our props for the last time. We eat some cookies, and then we're packing up our things striking the set, trying to protect our costumes from the rain as we put them into the back of Mr Robert's truck. Maddie and Wesley and Julie and I dance in the rain, and then run back under the awning as the electricity starts to make our hair stand on end.


And then we're piling back into the cars. And we're pulling out of the parking lot. And we're leaving.


We get back to the church. We say a quick goodbye to Jameson and Wil, who are staying the night in a hotel with their moms. We slip into our dorms, get ready for bed. Julie and I stay up for what seems like hours discussing Calvinism vs Armenianism (I know, I know), and then the next thing I know, it's early, it's time to get up, it's time to go.


Slowly, sadly, quietly, we pack up our things. We deflate and fold up our air mattresses. We roll up our sleeping bags, zip up our suitcases. We clean up the dorm. It seems so empty.


Jameson comes to help us pack, wanting to ride home with us rather than his mom, but Wil ditches us for a concert (NUB) and isn't there as we clean and say goodbye to the place that has become our second home.


Finally, we're all packed. We take some last pictures...

And then we're leaving... Saying an early and tearful goodbye to Julie and Robert, who aren't riding with us because they have to stop in Oklahoma; figuring out who's riding with who (I ended up riding in Mrs Robert's car with Rebecca, Morgan, Wesley, Jameson, Sarah, and Sarah's mom, which was lucky because I thought there wouldn't be any room and I'd end up in the quiet car again -- I really wanted to ride with some louder people this time); stopping quickly for gas; and next thing I know, we're out of Joplin.

Goodbye!

Not that the ride home wasn't fun. It was. It was actually one of my favorite parts of the trip. At first Morgan read aloud to us from "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", which was amazing -- Rebecca and Morgan and I were freaking out -- and then we were quiet for a little while (which was actually a shock, seeing how Jameson and Wesley were in a car together), and then we talked a lot, and napped a lot, and at one point Jameson was showing Wesley all the music on his iPod and they ended up singing and dancing along to Weird Al Yankovic and Family Force 5 (BEST PART OF THE RIDE HOME. SO FREAKING ENTERTAINING) and then it got quiet again while Wesley fell asleep on the floor, and we stopped at Chili's for lunch and talked about books and movies, and back in the car Jameson got me addicted to Florence + The Machine, and I read about ten chapters of "Jane Eyre", and then WHAT?! We were pulling into the WalMart parking lot, and getting out, and pulling out our suitcases, and my mom was pulling up, and Anna and Jameson and I were giving everybody enormous last minute goodbye hugs, and I wanted to cry but couldn't, and we were getting into the car (we were giving Jameson a ride home) and pulling away and driving off and turning the corner and I couldn't see anybody anymore and...

Then we were home.

Kind of.

Part of my heart will always be in Joplin. Part of my heart will always be with those kids. A huge chunk of my heart belongs to each of them -- Julie, Wesley, Rebecca, Maddie, Morgan, Jameson, Wil, Zeke, Zack, Robert, Sarah, Jo, Joseph, Miss Eve, and of course Anna. I love each of those people almost as much as I love my own family. I hope that we can all go back together soon. I know it won't be the same -- it could never possibly be the same as it was that week we spent in Joplin -- but it will still be wonderful. We're actually making plans to go back and watch the first play that Stained Glass does now that they're back together -- since we've left, they've actually used the donations we raised to find a temporary facility. Just the thought of getting everyone back together again to go see their play fills me with excitement.

Of course I'm glad to be back in Texas. I'm glad that school's started. I'm glad that in a few months, I'll see some of the people again as we begin work on the Sound of Music. But that week in Joplin was the best week of my life, and I'm never, ever, ever going to forget it.

Never, never, never.

(This video was created by Rebecca. It briefly chronicles the time we spent in Joplin. I'm rarely in it, but you'll see me occasionally -- just look for the blonde ponytail. :) )


(Costumes made by: Costumes By Dusty)

Outfit of The Day: 8/27/11

Today's outfit: Striped long-sleeved tee, pleated navy-blue skirt, white knit hat, and (new!) blue floral-print flats.

This is one of those outfits that I can't help but feel particularly cute in. When I put it on this morning, I immediately felt myself stand up straighter.

This shirt is a hand-me-down -- and I'm totally in love with it. It's so delightfully sailor-ish -- "nautical" is the fashionable term, I suppose. It's also striped, and blue, and amazing.

I also adore this collar; it's kind of the best part of this shirt. I love how it happens to be the exact same shade of blue as my skirt.

I was really quite worried about the length of this outfit. I was planning to wear this skirt yesterday, remember? Well, I decided to try just pulling the waist-line down (which actually worked really well with the pattern of the skirt), and it reached quite a comfortable length.

The hat I got from Target for Christmas a couple of years ago. Another stand-by. "I don't have time to wash my hair this morning? Alrighty, I'll just put on this hat and BAM! Cuteness."

And now we come to my favorite part of this outfit...

These shoes!

They're blue, they're floral, they have random streaks of violet, my grandmother bought them for me from Kohls last night (thanks Grandma!), and I am in love.

They're really very comfortable, and actually have color in them, which is a relief after days of wearing nothing but white sneakers and black ballet flats. It's wonderfully refreshing.

You know, I didn't use to care about shoes at all. Now I'm realizing that a cute new pair of them every once in a while can really put some spunk into your step.

Also, I pattern-mixed. SOO much fun!

Song of The Day: 8/26/11

This particular album was my pre-adolescence -- and this particular song always makes me think of summer and rainy days -- not that the two things are synonymous these days.

Enjoy!

Being The Ideal Woman (or not)

Who here watched Disney movies growing up?

I know, I know. Is that even a question? Well, I need to know. Because the amount of Disney films you watched as a kid could have had a serious effect on your self-esteem.

You of course all know what I'm talking about. What girl hasn't compared herself to Ariel or Jasmine at some point or another? Long, luscious, flowing, vibrant hair; big, soft, round, glowing eyes; complete grace whenever they walk; the ability to wake up in the morning with make-up apparently already on, because they're flawless; and, of course, their body shape.

Jasmine and Ariel both have very similar body shapes, neither of which are what you'd call anatomically possible. Their waists are about two inches thick from every angle (which can't be healthy -- I mean, where do their intestines go?), their hips and breasts are exactly the same width, and fairly large, their legs (or fins, as the case may be) are long, slender, and tapered; their feet and hands are tiny. They are barbie, but two-dimensional and not blonde.

Every girl has wanted to look like one of these two girls for at least a short time in their life. But why?

There is no way on earth anyone could look like these two girls. No one's eyes are that huge. No one's hair is that thick and still manageable. No one's waist is that freakishly tiny. I have friends who are naturally incredibly, incredibly skinny, and they are nowhere near that thin. On top of this, with bodies shaped like Jasmine and Ariel's -- wouldn't the poor girl just topple over?

But these two (FAKE) women are what the world, or the social media of the world, has deemed attractive.

Why the ever-loving heck is this attractive?

Sure, the girls are pretty. But they're freaking two-dimensional! They are so anatomically incorrect I don't know where to start. No one's body is that perfect. They are so fake I don't even know where to start.

Anyway, if the ideal was any different -- if, say, the "perfect woman" was chunky, pale, and short -- then Ariel and Jasmine would be considered down-right ugly. Any girl who looked anything like them would feel so terribly ugly and insecure... Which just shows you how flimsy this whole "ideal" thing is. Any decade now, the ideal could change -- probably will -- and then whoever doesn't fit the ideal will fade into the background of insecurity and self-loathing.

For example, compare the Disney Princesses of recent years to the early ones of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Snow White, Wendy, Alice, and Cinderella are the epitomes of the ideal of that area. Small, quiet, demure, intent on finding husbands and keeping houses clean, no curves, thicker waists. That was what girls were "supposed" to look like. And if they didn't look like that, well too bad for them. They needed to make themselves look like that. Somehow.

Now, I don't look like Ariel. I don't look like Wendy. I look like Alice, but taller, and my hair isn't nearly as full.

I'm not the ideal girl, but I'm the ideal me.

My cousin Bekah is tall, skinny, curvy and graceful. She's got brown hair, freckles, a long nose. Actually, she has long everything -- arms, legs, smile, and toes, because she's a dancer. She's long, lanky and beautiful. She isn't the ideal girl, but she's the ideal her.

My friend Emily is tall, fair-skinned, fair-haired, and a big girl. She has a round face, round hands, and loves the colors pink and purple. She loves her body. She's big, round, and beautiful. She isn't the ideal girl, but she's the ideal her.

Really, people. Who is the ideal girl, and why do we need to be her? Why can't we just... be us? And be proud of it?

I don't understand. I don't think anyone really does. But I hope that any girl who reads this takes away this: that she doesn't have to look like Jennifer Lopez, or Ariel, or Snow White to be beautiful; that to be beautiful, all she has to do is be herself, because she is already beautiful.

And Ariel needs to learn that her identity is not defined by some guy, let alone one she doesn't even know.

Oh yes. There is an entire blog about the stupidity of "The Little Mermaid" coming up soon. So prepare yoursellllf.

McAlister's

Hey! Remember this?

My inflatable friend from Joplin? Well, he's here in Texas, too --

See? It makes me happy.

I had the nacho basket.

It's cheese.

And chips.

It's Heaven.

On a freaking plate.

Anna got soup, which she apparently loved. (PS: Aren't her bangs cute? Yes. They are.)

Outfit of The Day: 8/26/11

Today's outfit: Orange pull-over, grey-blue t-shirt, khaki pants, brown belt. Black ballet flats (again, I know. Luckily I got new shoes today. :D) Hair: Pulled back in a grey-blue headband.

This is one of my favorite color-combinations of all time. I'm also kind of sort of delighted with these high-waisted khakis. I love wearing high-waisted pants when everyone else (including boys, which is sad) is showing off their undies. I feel different and wonderfully old-fashioned.

Despite my current boredom with these flats, I still love 'em. Because they have polka-dots inside.

This pull-over is another hand-me-down -- so is the shirt. I haven't been able to find a way to wear this pull-over before this, which is really sad, because the color is beautiful. The tee is so versatile I could wear it with almost anything. I actually had a different outfit all picked out for today, but I wasn't comfortable with the length of the skirt I picked out (which is too bad -- it's a pleated navy-blue, and super-cute. I can style it different ways, though -- I'm thinking red tights?), so I had to put an outfit together at the last minute, and all these items happened to be hanging up next to each other, and I kinda did a happy dance in my closet.

Yes... Anna did deserve the snarky look.

I won't say why. It's a sister-thing.

I've had this headband since, like, fifth grade. Another favorite, along with the chocolate-brown midi skirt and vintage vest. If I need my bangs outta my face, I always grab this. It's usually sitting on my night-stand, because I wear it at night.

I'm feeling very thoughtful today. Hurricane Irene is heading up the East Coast... It's a bit nerve-wracking, even from down here. My cousins live in Virginia, so we're praying hard for their safety, as well as the safety of their belongings. Having been to Joplin and back, I have a pretty good idea of what weather can do to a person's life. It's scary. I mean, if the damage there is anywhere near as bad as what I saw in Joplin (and I didn't see much)... I don't know. I mean, how much can we handle?

My prayers go out to anyone living on the East Coast. We're staying positive down here. Who knows? Maybe the storm won't do as much damage as we think it will. Maybe it'll help to end this drought. Maybe both. Something good will come of this, I promise. God's with you. :)