Everybody Dance!

I had to return a call at work just now, and the woman's answering machine started with "God bless you!" and ended with "And may Jesus bless your day." I am so completely in support of people having religious beliefs and convictions - I have my own that are similar. But something about hearing it on an answering machine always raises my blood pressure. I'm not sure why; maybe it's the forcing of one's opinions onto an unsuspecting public - the Jewish boy who calls to confirm your dentist's appointment, or the agnostic shopgirl who leaves a message that your shoes are repaired and ready to be picked up. Witnessing is important in the church, as I understand it, but how many people are likely to change a core belief system because of a pre-recorded greeting? Or maybe it's just the cheapening of an important religious belief by recording it on a telephonic device, one also known for bearing such messages as "Hello? Hello? What? Oh, haha, I'm not in, and you were talking to a machine! Stupid! *Beep*".

Auditions were horrifying. Very few people showed up - a few usuals and a 12 year-old boy who'd probably be a great Don Quixote 30 years from now. Tonight's supposed to be a larger turnout. I got to audition a capella, and turns out the keyboard was transposed, but the accompanist (who was filling in at the last second and wasn't comfortable playing the accompaniment) didn't know that and gave me my opening note, which sounded pretty damned high when I started, forcing me to start over. Then I had to vocalize, which I HATE doing at auditions, and again, without knowing the keyboard was transposed, the accompanist kept pushing higher and finally stopped, telling me that I dropped out at F, which is ridiculously low for me - and bizarre, since my audition piece ended on A flat. Yeah, but oops, that was an F above HIGH C, which is ridiculously high for me and explains why I sounded so awful. Oh well - I at least know that after a shaky start, my audition piece wasn't too awful. But the whole episode is caught on videotape, since Moonlight records all auditions. That would be sure to turn up someday if I'm ever on Inside the Actor's Studio.

So. Let's try that again tonight, shall we?

My happy is the promise of a new beginning in many things. What's yours?