(Airplane updates continued)
September 26 Lion King at Capitol Theatre
My old coworker and friend, Noel and I went to see Lion King on Broadway which brought back many memories for me. I had forgotten that I owned Rhythm of the Pridelands, the soundtrack for the broadway album many years ago so each song was very familiar. I was reminded of performing The Circle of Life shortly after the movie was released. I collaborated an electronic version of the song on my keyboard with African type instruments and performed it at the VA hospital. My sister helped me get the timing right. I remember I struggled for a long time with the collaboration of all the sounds and the timing until she literally took me by the hands and made me dance it out. I was probably 11 years old at the time. I remember she wore a handmade African skirt she received from some friends she met from Africa while serving an LDS mission in Athens, Greece. She wore that skirt to my performance.
For years I gave a talk in church about change, pride and remembering who you are. When I first started giving that talk, I lived in North Carolina and struggled with the very value of life. I struggled with school, who I wanted to be and family – much like where I find myself today. Yet, at that point in my life I had not lost anything. I bad everything in the palm of my hand including possibility.
Then when I was 16 my mother passed away. Shortly after, my Dad asked that I resurrect that talk and give it again with a renewed, mature perspective. So I did.
“He lives in you, he lives in me. He watches over everything we see. Into the water. Into the truth. In your reflection, he lives in you.” Remember who you are. Change is the only constant in our lives.
I remembered these moments in my life, trials and tribulations, as this beautiful celebration was displayed on stage with such important lessons that I use to teach over two dozen times in a speech that I seem to forget although to this day I have a Lion King plaque on my desk at work that says “Remember who you are.” Maybe it is time to start giving this talk again… To become worthy of the speech.
I highly recommend Lion King on broadway to EVERYONE. Save your pennies and go. It is a spectacular display of beauty, music, life, universe and spirit.
Filed under: Rock the Caz*ba, capitol theater, lion king, lion king in salt lake city, lion king on broadway
