hey sailor

any time you can say, "I never did that before" (assuming what you've just done was in the service of joy) you earn a benefit of spiritual health and maturity. Spiritual health is linked to the abundance of life, living out all the potentialities within you, stretching yourself to do more than you thought, and growing into capabilities you didn't previously have.

I had an opprotunity to challenge myself over the last few months when I signed up tfor the role of a sailor in the opening production number of the Gay Mens Chorus concerts we had last weekend. We were singing the Norwegian Sailor's Chorus from Wgner's Flying Dutchman. I've never done any acting or dancing before, and although this was at a pretty low level it was still a stretch for me to move and pose, keep count in my head, hit my mark, and mime sailor-like actions such as pulling a rope, rowing and drinking beer with my mates, all while singing my part in the music.

14 of us worked together to create the scene. We worked hard, put in extra rehearsals, and ended up with a successful, number. And in the meantime we got to know each other better, became friends, and some of us, like me, gave birth to a part of ourselves that had never lived before. Here's a picture of the sailors in the dressing room at the theater.: