Last night at rehearsal we were getting quite involved in a table reading of the Mark, Brian and Beverly scene. The scene revolves around the challenges of a man and woman who are no longer able to call themselves middle-aged. We talked about the power of history in a relationship. We talked about dreams differed. We spoke about the value of grace and forgiveness in relationship. We spoke on how one enters a relationship one way and comes out another. We spoke of how you marry one person but divorce another. We spoke of addiction and its value in numbing feelings and filling boredom – and obviously the immense price you pay for addiction and the loss of years you will never get back. We talked of how intimacy evolves from the giddiness of infatuation to the ripeness and fullness of maturity and the potential for that fruit to go to waste while still hanging from the tree. Deep stuff, huh?
In short we talked about how “youth is wasted on the young.” This conversation went well. The entire cast came to the table with some very mature thinking and some good analysis – and heck, even some spurts of genuine wisdom. And then the punch came . . .
During a lull in our table read of the script one actor mentioned their driver’s eduction teacher and how best to prepare for their driving test. And for a second I thought, “Driver’s license?” You are 40 years old! And you’re just now talking about driver’s license?” What are you? Children?” And then, of course, the answer came to me. Of course they are children. It’s high school, idiot. Their soon-to-have driver’s license may only read 16 years of age – but after working with this play for a few months, their souls will likely be a few years older. Youth is wasted on the young.” Perhaps these youths are going to savor their youth just a bit more . . . seeing the possibilities of what MAY come to pass.
One comment on “Drivers License and Menopause”
I’ll bet it’s interesting to engage with people of a certain age – to see them grasp the wisdom life has to offer, absorb it, contemplate it and respond to it thoughtfully…
Just to be reminded that they’re still so young.
I don’t think wisdom is designated to any specific age group, but I do feel it’s pushed aside often in our younger years as we spend the bulk of our time trying to fit in, “win” and sculpt their personalities.
It’s refreshing that you’re able to carry on such thought-provoking discussions with your students. If this happened more often, I feel we’d see our youth grow up to have a completely different set of values. Values that can actually inspire the direction of the world toward creativity, maturity and compassion.