The medicine go down
Mary Poppins
Growing up, I never expected myself to develop an interest in the theatre. My interests lay elsewhere. Fighter jets, Gundams, half-elves, wizards, fantasy lands, tennis, travel. I purchased my first album in my twenties. I listened to a handful of songs in school. Music wasn’t my thing. Why would it be when instead I could be in a fantasy land with my party on a quest, slaying monsters and levelling up?
It is inevitable that as we grow older some of our interests will change. I love country music. My reading genre has expanded out of exclusively being fantasy, now also encompassing sci-fi and non fiction. I enjoy podcasts and video conversations. I enjoy going to the gym. I like to hike, climb, and be outdoors.
Recently, I’ve also gotten into the many wonderful theatre shows on offer at QPAC. From Frozen, to Cinderella, and now Mary Poppins, we have had a blast. We are now looking forward to 2023’s activities. First up, Hamilton. We are also heading to Melbourne over the Christmas break to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Theatre goodness everywhere!
My favourite so far has been Frozen. Don’t get me wrong, they were all great. Frozen is one of my favourite movies, and I do enjoy the songs that are there. It was great to see all of the kids who had dressed up, and to join most of the theatre in singing the lyrics to let it go. It was a great way to bring us to the intermission.
Let it go
Elsa, Frozen
We change over time. The person that thought we would be, or should be, changes. It’s easy to get stuck and hold on to these characters. After all, they used to define us. We have to let it go. We have to explore new interests as they come to us. We have to pursue new opportunities. We have to grow and change for the better.
We all have to grow up at some stage. I think that it involves multiple iterations – where we accept more and more responsibilities, and have more life experiences that we can draw upon. I grew up when I moved out of home. I grew up again when I went travelling and had to figure a lot of things out on my own (trip planning, finances, health and fitness, nutrition). I grew up again when I moved in with my fiancé at the time (now wife). I grew up again when we got married. I continue to grow as I learn how to navigate having a townhouse – from making simple repairs, mowing, replacing items, budgeting. I’ll grow again when we have kids.
I love my life. It’s also not the life I would have had if I hadn’t have changed, followed new interests, and moved away from the person I thought I should be when I was younger. We need to let it go. Life is a grand adventure. There is much wisdom to be learned. Many activities to try. Interests to lean in to. People to connect with.
There’s the whole world at your feet. And who gets to see it but the birds, the stars, and the chimney sweeps
Mary Poppins