Art

Cyndi and I saw a play tonight at the Steppenwolf Theatre. We have been subscribers, this time, for seven years. When we lived in the city, we were subscribers then too. The first play we saw there was "The Glass Menagerie" and have seen probably 50 since. We love the theater. I wish I could write a play that has a smidgen of talent that these plays do. I wish I could write a play, period.

Tonight we saw "Art" which seems like it is going to be a play about a painting that one guy of a group of three buys, and the impressions that follow. When we go to Steppenwolf, we try not to learn anything about the play prior. We like to experience the story as it unfolds before us, talk about it on the walk to the car and in the car on the ride home, and then let it sit with us after. Many times, the play sits with me for days and weeks after.

"Art" has little to do with paintings, really. It has to do with the 15 year relationship of this trio and the misconceptions of each other's roles.

It got me thinking about my friends and the various roles we each have. All of my close friends are different. If you define a person by the job he/she has, we have a lawyer, some doctors, financial genius' (in my opinion and probably the opinion of others), a legal assistant/one day full-time photographer, a project manager, an owner of a bar (The Pepper Canister--the BEST bar in the city), a teacher, a computer security expert, a sales guy.

Many of the people I am friends with today, became my friends after I was their RA in college. While I don't mean this the way it can be taken, I was the group's leader. Meaning, I was the Julie McCoy of 1-South and I think that defined how my relationship with this group developed and matured. College in and of itself is a time where solid bonds are formed. It's telling if a relationship can last 1, 5, 10 years. I've known these people for almost 20 years; some longer.

My friends help define me.

It doesn't take a painting for me to realize this.