I went to the first performance of the season of the Asheville PlayBack Theatre. I really love those improv performances! In case you are new to PlayBack, it's actually a theatre form that was created in the NY area 30 years ago and there are PlayBack companies around the world. I am so grateful that we have one here in Asheville - started by my friend Raphael and others back in 1995.
The gist of PlayBack is that volunteers from the audience tell a story from their life, and the 4 actors on stage play it back - with the intention of honoring the perspective of the storyteller.
Half way into the 90-min experience, a young man got up to share his story. It involved changing this college degree away from becoming a certified teacher in public schools. Just that day he dropped the classes he signed up for that would have taken him down a path he had been on since being in the 5th grade, when his teacher had acknowledged him and changed his life for the better. He obviously was in deep angst about the change, as if he were being somehow disloyal to a long-held dream.
While the actors played back the story with great sensitivity (as usual) and there probably wasn't a dry eye in the house - which was packed, what I want to highlight is something else. It is something that Deb the emcee/conductor said to the young man. Right when he expressed the greatest angst regarding changing his course, she looked at him and said:
"I bet if you asked, everyone in here would tell you that life was a very circuitous route to get them where they are today." The audience was so connected to the young man and to her astute comment that they spontaneously erupted in applause. It was a touching moment of shared humanity for us all.
Our lives all have been circuitous journeys with seeming unprecedented changes in direction from time to time that, in the end, were utterly necessary.
It's easy to whole-heartedly encourage someone else to let everything go and move on to what's next, to embrace their emerging life's passion and express a more authentic life style and way of being. What happens in our own lives, however, when life conspires to have us venture into a whole new path? I have found that what is being left behind is often much clearer than what this new endeavor is to be.
Currently it seems that many of us are in tremendous change. What I know is that following inner guidance is primary, allowing each step to be as small or as large as it is presented. Part of what that looks like for me is exploring a research and writing project I've thought about doing for several years now. It would be a big project and would ultimately adjust the trajectory of my life significantly.
So I am both excited and have the same kind of angst that young man shared, along with the determination to follow my highest calling. I am sure that the reason that particular part of the performance stood out for me so much is the same reason that everyone readily applauded Deb's wise mentoring. It was a reminder that we all have experienced big challenges and changes before, that we can trust all will be fine, and that there are lots of people available who can relate to and support our process.
We all really are in this together and we are constantly co-conspiring our evolving life stories. If you ever want a lovely reminder of this, I highly recommend that you go to some PlayBack Theatre performances, or hire the company to come to your organization or family celebration. The sense of community and connection is palpable in the room, and after all, isn't that what we really need to move forward?
You can see their schedule and information on: www.ashevillePlayback.org and you can read what my course changes will be right here on this website. Thank you for reading this.
Namaste,
Gayatri
