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Christopher Morley was correct. I read this to my cat, and he was definitely not appreciative. You can try it out on your dog if you have one. If your dog appreciates it, consider replacing it with a cat:

Come, Greta! Let’s go for a walk! We can use the exercise… and it’ll help me deal with the thought of an unplanned guest arriving soon! Greta… we’ve enjoyed our peace for the past few months, haven’t we? By taking in Madi for the summer, we’ll be doing a good deed! I took you in, and it turned out pretty well! Don’t worry, Greta. I won’t ignore you when Madi arrives. I’ll always take good care of you! The question is… can I deal with taking care of a thirteen-year-old girl? Greta, we’re getting a guest in our home soon. It may affect our routine, but I made an agreement and it’s done. It’s just for a few months. You and me, girl… we’re forever! You’re the best, Greta. You came into my life like a light in the dark after I lost Bella. We had a rocky start, but you show me your gratitude every day. Aren’t we lucky to have found each other? There aren’t enough opportunities to do good deeds at my age. We have to take them when they come and yet… was it the right thing to do? Greta, I agreed to take Madi in for the summer. I haven’t seen her since she was a toddler, but Lyle seemed so desperate! Who knows what she’s like now? A thirteen-year-old girl who’s lost her grandmother… one of her primary caretakers. Greta, let’s sit here and enjoy our peace while we can before she arrives.

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Actors Theatre of Greater Metropolitan Santa Royale

Presents

Love is a Song that Never Ends

Act I

SCENE: Mary's condo. Dawn and Mary eat muffins.

Dawn: I saw Hugo in New York and made my choice.

Mary: Who did you choose?

Dawn: I’m with Jared. Choosing him was the right thing to do. Hugo and I agreed to be friends.

Mary: Did your young Frenchman take the news well? No resistance on his part?

Dawn: Hugo has feelings for someone else too… Someone he works with in Paris.

Mary: Long-distance romance is a precarious thing.

Dawn: I was relieved, Mary.

Mary: No feelings were hurt at the news?

Dawn: I admit… for a moment, I was surprised when Hugo told me he’s interested in someone else! But no feelings were hurt! Jut my ego, a little bit!

Mary: I’m glad it worked out and that there was minimal damage!

Dawn: When I got back, Jared met me at the airport and we’ve been seeing each other every day since!

Mary: That’s great, Dawn! I’m glad you’re happy with your decision.

Dawn: I am. Jared’s a good friend. And we just clicked along the way. We get along well and laugh at the same things.

Mary: Friends who become something more make for the best relationships!

Dawn: I respect Jared and the work he does at the hospital. He helps people in varied and difficult situations.

Mary: We think alike, Dawn. I respect people in the medical field too.

Dawn: He’s a bit nerdy, but I find that endearing.

Mary: When loves involved, quirks are viewed as charm.

Dawn: When I saw Jared waiting for me at the airport, I can’t explain it… I really felt like I was home!

Mary: I noticed your easy rapport with each other at the hospital.

Dawn: He’s a gem. I love him.

Mary: I’m happy for you, Dawn. At the next opportunity, introduce us. I’d like to meet him.

Joseph Campbell: Love is friendship set to music.

Dawn: He has strong feelings for me too… So it’s definitely mutual! I chose Jared because he makes me laugh and I feel good when I’m with him. We just clicked from the very beginning and before I knew it, I fell for him. It happened in an organic way. It’s just as well that Hugo’s interested in his French co-worker. Our love was not meant to be long-term. We’re still friends. My friendship with Jared, however, turned into something much more…

[Music Up] Wilbur, Estelle, and Libby singing offstage: “So I’ll be your friend, and I’ll be your lover… We don’t have to be one or the other.”

Black out.

Curtains open on:

Act II

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Love is keeping you alive? Be sure to mention that to Estelle when you meet her. I think it will help.

The Man Who Came to Dinner. Haddonfield Plays & Players. (c)2019 Photo Credit: Catherine Davies Photography

I'm having a great time in the play, but I have missed being able to wake up early enough to post here before heading off to work. Hang in there. Terry Bryson has arrived, so the next few weeks may be especially trying.

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ABANDONMENT

An Easter Play You Can Perform While Visiting Grandma

By Karen Moy

Wilbur: I’m used to being alone… My work is solitary by nature! But when I sit at my computer… reading reader mail… my thoughts turn back to my own problems! I’m having trouble concentrating on my work.

Mary: The quiet in your place doesn’t help?

Wilbur: I feel alone and abandoned! Dawn’s studying abroad! I miss Iris! And Mary… my past mistakes haunt me.

Mary: You’re not alone, Wilbur! We all make mistakes! We’re going to Lookout Point. Maybe the view will help us both gain perspective. (They cross the stage and stand atop a deadly cliff overlooking a turbulent ocean.)

Wilbur: It’s beautiful, Mary!

Mary: I come here when I need a change of perspective. Sometimes it helps.

Wilbur: Maybe it’ll help me. I’ve been feeling… alone and stuck in a rut.

Mary: Wilbur, you traveled for a whole year around the globe to meet and write about disaster survivors.

Wilbur: Yes.

Mary: Then how can you feel stuck in a rut?

Wilbur: I’m back in real life now, Mary. I’m facing my own personal demons and regrets. When I returned from my trip, Dawn was a godsend. She was much-needed company and my confidante.

Mary: This is after you broke up with Iris?

Wilbur: Yes, I made a mess of things with Iris. Now, with my daughter away and Iris off with another guy, I’m alone.

Mary: You’re not alone, Wilbur. As for Iris… some people aren’t meant to be in your life forever. Remember… you have friends. I’ll always have an open ear and a shoulder for you to cry on.

Wilbur: Thanks, Mary.

Mary: You have two excellent columns in the papers. How are they?

Wilbur: Business as usual. But despite my work, I feel… unsettled and anxious.

Mary: Maybe you just need to have some fun. Are there hobbies you want to pursue?

Wilbur: I can’t think of any at this time.

Mary: You’re wrapped up in your problems, which is easy to do when you’re alone. Try to find good in every day.

Wilbur: I’m trying Mary, I really am! I look at others and I feel like a loser compared to them!

Mary: This vulnerability is part of being human. Give yourself compassion rather than judging yourself as less than others.

Wilbur: I don’t know how. The feeling of hopelessness is almost unbearable sometimes! When I’m alone with my thoughts, it’s like going into a bad neighborhood… I always get beat up. When I returned from my trip around the world, I struggled to deal with complicated romantic issues. I didn’t totally go under because Dawn was there for me!

Mary: I imagine your daughter was therapeutic company after you broke up with Iris.

Wilbur: Now Dawn’s studying in Italy… and I’m feeling abandoned! I try not to think about Iris, but I’m reminded of her all the time! 

 

Wilbur: Let's have this conversation again next week.

Mary: Definitely.

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The Actor's Theatre of Greater Metropolitan Santa Royale presents "Iris Tells Mary About Zak."

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...Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and caldron bubble.

Today's full strip

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And the others...?

And now, ladies and gentlemen, the Actors Theatre of Greater Metropolitan Santa Royale presents, "Lunch with Harlan."

Today's full strip

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You would think, wouldn't you, Jeff? But actually, the pace was not fast, nor was it exciting. So. Irony.

Did everyone catch yesterday's REVERSE floating head??

And now, dear readers, the Actors Theatre of Greater Metropolitan Santa Royale presents a scene from Mary Worth. (You saw a preview a few days ago, but here's the entire scene.)

Today's full strip

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Okay, you two robots, let's try it once more with feeling.

...and scene!

Today's full strip

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I love when Karen Moy quotes Shakespeare. She always does it so appropriately. This quote from Macbeth's most famous soliloquy seems to describe my experience reading Mary Worth each day, although it is more specifically Macbeth's reply to learning of his wife's death. Is Toby doomed?

Of course, the final line of the speech is perhaps even more appropriate:

It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury
Signifying nothing.

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Ken Kensington sings a song for Mary Worth

Happy Thanksgiving.

Today's Full Strip

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The Desert Gull

A Play

By Anton Chekhov

(translation from original Russian by Karen Moy)

Setting: The Pax Wellness Resort and Spa is located in the desert, where the infirm come for the restorative qualities of the dry air and the pure agua.

JUNE, a pretty young widow, sits quietly weeping at her table. MARY, a matriarch, approaches her.

MARY: Hello, could you use some company?

JUNE: Yes... I could.

MARY: The beauty of the area seems to bring out deep EMOTIONS in everyone. What brings you to Pax Wellness Resort, June?

JUNE: I lost my husband seven months ago. And I hoped I could heal here.

MARY: I'm sorry for your loss. If you're looking for healing, this place does seem restorative. I just arrived this morning, and already I feel better!

JUNE: I've been here for two days so far. This place IS beautiful. But I find it difficult to be present. Grief is hard to shake.

MARY: (taking her hand) Give yourself time. It is an individual process and cannot be rushed.

JUNE: It's been months since I lost Charlie, and I STILL haven't been able to touch any of his things! Why haven't I been able to move forward in my life? It's like I'm stuck.

MARY: June, just the fact that you're HERE shows that you want to heal and move forward... a good sign! I'm going to take a walk after lunch. Would you like to join me?

JUNE: I'd like that, Mary.

MARY: Come then... Let us enjoy the BEAUTY this place has to offer! (They walk in the desert)

MARY: It's been said... Tears are the silent language of grief. (Sotto voce:) And for some things there are no words. (Seagulls circle over the desert sands, looking for water.)

Mary: William Wordsworth once said, "Come forth into the light of things. Let nature be your teacher." I've always believed we can learn from all people... AND all things.

JUNE: Charlie's things are untouched in the closet... and in drawers! Why can't I move forward?... Why can't I bring myself to touch any of his things?

MARY: June, your being here at Pax Wellness Resort shows that you ARE moving forward... and that you WANT to move past your grief. There's something restorative about being around the beauty of nature. I remember when I became a widow... it seems like only yesterday. Jack was my best friend. I understand your loss.

JUNE: I joined the club no one wants to belong to... and I'm sorry for YOUR loss, but it does help me feel not so alone. Thank you. Were you and Jack married long?

MARY: Not long enough. We met when we were in school... When the possibilities for the future seemed endless.

JUNE: I fell in love with Charlie when we were young, too. Losing him feels like losing my own youth.

MARY: I know what you mean, June. When I look back on my college days... I see Jack.

JUNE: You said you were able to move on after you lost him. How did you do it, Mary?... What's the secret to MY moving on after Charlie? (she weeps)

MARY: I took some much needed time to mourn. It's different for everyone... but take the time.

JUNE: That's why I'm here.

MARY: Take what you can from your experiences here. The atmosphere is beneficial.

JUNE: There is something healing about being around the BEAUTY OF NATURE.

MARY: I view Jack's passing as a lesson... as everything is in life. What can I learn from it?

JUNE: What DID you learn from it?

MARY: I want to be remembered well after I'm gone, as Jack is. I do my best to make it so.

JUNE: I can only try, and hopefully... it's enough.

MARY: I kept busy after Jack died. I realized I was needed in a different capacity.

JUNE: Sometimes it's hard to look beyond myself.

MARY: You're mourning. That's understandable.

JUNE: Maybe after my stay at this resort... I'll feel well enough to do my best work.

MARY: Hallmark once said, "Although it's difficult today, to see beyond the sorrow, may looking back in memory help comfort you tomorrow." I can sympathize with you... because I've been there. I UNDERSTAND. I lost Jack a long time ago... but I never really lost him. I try to remember the LOVE we shared... and it HELPS me. After a period of mourning, I felt guilty for moving on. But Jack would want me to live my best life while I can. I know I'll see him again someday. As a widow I know the pain of losing a partner. It helps me be EMPATHETIC toward others.

JUNE (grinning): Like me.

MARY: Like you... who are going through something similar.

JUNE: I get the feeling you help many.

MARY: People tell me I help them through my counsel and friendship.

JUNE: Which you are able to do because you've been in their shoes.

MARY: Who knows the purpose of painful experience? I only know it's helped me HELP OTHERS with their pain.

JUNE: Mary, I'll take what you say to heart... and I'll try to move forward in my life.

MARY: I believe you can and you will, June. Being surrounded by the desert reminds me that LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. Like anything, to see requires stopping the chaos... outside AND inside yourself.

JUNE: I understand what you mean. I have a class to attend, Mary. Thanks for giving me a shoulder to cry on... and encouragement after Charlie's gone.

MARY: My pleasure, June. Take care of yourself...

[JOAN exits.]

CURTAIN

Mary Worth 1,620

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (James 1:17 KJV)

The video above is from a CD signing in New York for a New York revival cast album. And I love this. Thank you Beth, for reminding me to have a grateful heart today.

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So, the Oscar Wilde quote that Karen Moy has selected today to pay tribute to our fallen 9/11 heroes is from the play Salomé. In the play, the wickedly insane Salomé, having convinced Herod to bring her John the Baptist's head on a platter, says to the prophet's severed head:

Ah! Wherefore didst thou not
look at me, Jokanaan?
Behind thine hands and thy curses
thou didst hide thy face.
Thou didst put upon thine eyes the covering
of him who would see his God.
Well, thou hast seen thy God, Jokanaan,
but me, me, thou didst never see.
If thou hadst seen me thou wouldst have loved me.
I, I saw thee, Jokanaan, and I loved thee.
Oh, how I loved thee! I love thee yet, Jokanaan.
I love thee only. ...
I am athirst for thy beauty; I am hungry for thy body;
and neither wine nor fruits can appease my desire.
What shall I do now, Jokanaan?
Neither the floods nor the great waters
can quench my passion.
. . . Ah! ah! wherefore didst thou not
look at me, Jokanaan? If thou hadst looked at me
thou hadst loved me. Well I know that
thou wouldst have loved me,
and the mystery of love
is greater than the mystery of death.

Karen Moy has quoted some of Shakespeare's greatest villains in the past, thinking their words were noble, completely not understanding that the author was putting virtuous words in their mouths to make them more evil. I've found that funny.

But today, her ignorance has crossed into offensiveness.


Today's Full Strip

From Earl Hamner (John-Boy Walton)

I received this email from Earl Hamner, the creator of the Waltons. I hope you'll consider making a small donation in honor of MaryWorthandMe.com and support community theatre. Then make a donation to your own local theatre.

You can donate here.

23 September 2010

Amigos,

Hope this finds you knee high in colorful autumn leaves, that the pesky weather that visited most of the country this summer is just a memory, and that you are reasonably well and back at work or school or whatever makes you happy.

I hope you'll forgive me if the following sounds a little self-congratulatory, but to tell the truth, I swell with pride when the Hamner Theater is mentioned. The Theater is located in Nelson County, Virginia, not far from where I was born and to my astonishment was named after me. Since its formation in 2005 it has been home to a wide range of drama, comedy, dance and music. We're in Walton country here and while the region has improved economically and culturally since back when John-Boy sat at the window and yearned to be a writer, it's quite a challenge to supply quality theater this far off Broadway in these difficult times.

If in some case you've got a lot of cash stuffed away in an old sock under the mattress, there is a better way to invest it. Please see my new BLOG!

And THANK YOU!

Earl Hamner

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OUR SECOND DATE

PARENTAL WARNING: This scene contains face touching.

Setting: The food court at the Santa Royale Shopping Center. Mike and Jenna, carrying their lunch trays, find a seat. It is their second date in two months.

Mike: Is this all right Jenna?

Jenna: Yes. Now, Mike… I want to hear more about your family situation.

Mike: My father deserted my family when I was a young boy…

Jenna: I’m sorry about what happened.

Mike: Don’t be! We made peace with each other before he died… and that has made all the difference. I didn’t think love was for me because of what happened in my childhood. That is… until I finally got to confront my father and tell him about my anger and pain!

Jenna (sotto voce): I didn’t think love was meant for me either… until I met you.

Mike: I learned that my father had a vendetta that obsessed him! It kept him from his family!… It drove him to drink and destroyed his life because he couldn’t let it go.

Jenna: And by learning this, you were able to let go of your anger at him.

Mike: After my father explained his obsession, I saw his soul! I saw a man who had suffered loss!… I saw a man who wanted justice, and became obsessed with getting it.

Jenna: It seems knowing his reasons and weaknesses helped you forgive him. Do you want to take a walk?

(They exit the food court and enter the beach)

Mike: I’m sorry for not following through after our first date! I want to make it up to you! I’m a changed man! I’ve come to terms with my father and my past. He wouldn’t let go of his vendetta, and that led him to drink. Drinking in his state of mind took its toll, and that led him to lose his job… and eventually abandon his family! I’m not too different from him! You see, I couldn’t let go of what HE did… and as a result, I had trouble letting myself love… until recently.

Jenna: Your attitude about love was many years in the making… (sotto voce:) Could it be changed in such a short time?

Mike: I’m a CHANGED man! The anger and pain I harbored for years has left me! After making peace with my father, I’m FREE! Free to really live… and to love. I really like you Jenna… I want to make up for the last time. You’re a wonderful woman… and I hope we’ll get to know each other EVEN BETTER!

Jenna: I’d like that! I want to know more about you too, Mike! So far you’ve opened up your past to me… and I appreciate it. I want to learn even more about you.

Mike: It seems we have a lot to learn about each other.

Jenna: What do you want to know about me?

Mike: Everything. How are my chances for that?

Jenna: I’d say pretty good.

(They frolic)

Mike: A person can be transformed in FIVE MINUTES! They just need the right stimulus.

Jenna: This is nice.

Mike: Yes.

Jenna: I wish we’d done this several weeks ago.

Mike: It’s not too late, Jenna! Let’s enjoy this moment and not regret the past.

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WILBUR AND KURT GO FISHING
A Play by Karen Moy

SETTING: An elevated boat dock on a small lake in California. It is a beautiful day. The sound of an occasional sea bird cuts through the quiet. WILBUR WESTON, age 54, sits on the edge of the dock, fishing with his illegitimate son, KURT EVANS, age 10–40. KURT wears a red trucker’s cap and women’s shoes.

WILBUR: So, tell me about yourself, Kurt.

KURT: You already know I like fishing. I like to write, too. I mainly do odd jobs here and there. It’s hard for me to stay in one place for too long. I suffer from an uneasy restlessness… Growing up without a dad led to problems for me… I have an uneasiness I can’t seem to shake.

WILBUR: I’m sorry to hear that, Kurt!

KURT: It’s okay. Maybe things will change now.

WILBUR: Tell me… what was it like having Abby as your mother?

KURT: Having Abby for a mother was always… interesting.

WILBUR: In what way?

KURT: Like me, she too had a restless spirit. There was a time when she moved us from place to place… Wilbur, why did you and my mother break up?

WILBUR: When I was seeing her, she was a beautiful girl from town who attracted many campus admirers. One was a nasty rich kid who didn’t tolerate people outside his social circle… but he made an exception for your mother. I felt threatened when Abby started spending time with my rival. One night we had an argument about it… She left town soon afterward, and I never saw her again. I regret the things we said to each other! It was the last time we spoke.

KURT: Don’t feel bad. My mother didn’t talk about the past… But I could tell from the photos she kept how much you meant to her. I’ve been restless all my life… with a constant feeling of something missing.

WILBUR: I’m sorry you didn’t grow up with a father, Kurt.

KURT: It’s not your fault, Wilbur. You didn’t know. Besides, I’m lucky I had my mother as long as I did.

WILBUR: Still… it must have been difficult. I wish there was something I could do to help.

KURT: Spending time with you like this helps.

WILBUR: Kurt, your mother MUST have had companions when you were young. I can’t believe you had no one to call a father figure when you were growing up!

KURT: Sadly, there was no one steady I could call my dad. People came and went out of our lives. My mother never stayed in one relationship for long. We were fine, though, just the two of us. We managed to get by! ...She was always able to sell her paintings and photographs.

WILBUR: Yes, she was a creative person... A true original.

CURTAIN

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SETTING: A pathway lined with nondescript bushes at Local University. Wilbur, innocently eating an ice cream cone and carrying a fishing pole, enters stage right. His rival, Nasty Rich Kid, enters stage left.

Wilbur: Well, well, well. We meet at last.

Nasty Rich Kid: Indeed. I wondered when our paths might cross.

Wilbur: It has been four long years, my rival. Things might have been different, if you hadn't been so nasty. And rich.

Nasty Rich Kid: And if you hadn't been so charming and affable. Clicking and connecting with Abby. Over and over again. But your goodness and fisherman's ways could only carry you so far into her heart. You never can compete with my nasty money!

Wilbur: We'll see about that, rival!

Nasty Rich Kid: You're already too late. I gave her some of my money and she's left town. You'll never see her again! Bwah hah hah hah!

Wilbur: NOOOooooooo!

Today's Full Strip

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This week, Jeff has given us a wonderful monologue that you can use at this Thursday's audition for "Our Town" at the Actors Theatre of Greater Metropolitan Santa Royale.

"Stay, Scott, Stay."

A Mary Worth Monologue
by Karen Moy

SETTING: A hospital room. Scott Hewlett lies dying of gunshot wounds, his head wrapped in a tourniquet, his arm in a sling. A Band-Aid brand bandage adheres quietly to his neck. State-of-the-art stereo equipment circles silently around the room. Jeff Corey, M.D., sits at Scott's bedside.

JEFF: Adrian told me you proposed! If your father were alive, he would give you both his blessing! You have mine. I'm glad you came into my daughter's life... please stay. You've made Adrian very happy. She loves you, and she deserves a partner like you... moral, kind, smart... Someone who appreciates her for who she is. You have so much to live for, Scott... You and Adrian have a beautiful future ahead of you! I'm so glad you came into my daughter's life! You brought her back to herself! She couldn't have picked a better partner. (He quietly fondles Scott's pinkie.) PLEASE... STAY.

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And now, as my Christmas gift to you, dear reader:

ICE CASTLES
A Christmas Play
[Lynn sits in her dressing room drinking coffee]

Mary (knocking on Lynn’s door): Knock knock. It’s Mary… May I speak with you?

Lynn (still drinking coffee): Yes.

Mary: Lynn, I’m glad it wasn’t more serious. That the doctors gave you a clean bill of health.

Lynn: Yes. A relief.

Mary: I spoke with your father.

Lynn: What did he say?

Mary: He was concerned about you. Very concerned. Is it the stress of COMPETITION that triggered your fainting spell? Or SOMETHING ELSE?

Lynn: I’m going to tell you a story, Mary. About that PHOTO you found… This photo that I dropped… that you found earlier…

Mary: Yes? Who is it?

Lynn: This is Greg. He was my best friend.

Mary: Was?

Lynne: Let’s take a walk, Mary. I could use some FRESH AIR!

Mary: I could use some too. It can be CLARIFYING on so many levels.

Lynn: I’ll EXPLAIN MORE about the photo when we get out of doors.

Mary: Please do. I don’t understand what happened. But I want to know more!

(They go outside)

Lynn (showing Mary the photo that caused her to scream in agony earlier): Greg and I met at the rink. We became fast friends.

Mary: He has a pleasant face. He looks very approachable.

Lynn: Yes. He was one of the few people I was truly able to talk to! You know, BE MYSELF with! Unlike…

Mary: Unlike your father? I know that relationship leaves a lot to be desired.

Lynn: I was the happiest I’d ever been. Greg and I spent a lot of time together. Maybe too much time.

Mary: What do you mean?

Lynn: It was an innocent friendship. But my father did not approve because IT TOOK TIME AWAY FROM MY SKATING… - My father threatened to move me to another skating facility far away if I continued the friendship! So I started acting very COLD to Greg. I stopped talking to him! He didn’t understand. He thought it was something he did. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Mary: So you reluctantly ended your friendship with Greg because your father wanted you to focus on your training?

Lynn: Yes. And I never explained to Greg WHY I stopped talking to him. I regretted that! Because what happened to him afterwards will haunt me forever! When I see this photo, I think of my friendship with Greg… And I regret how it ended.

Mary: After you parted ways, what happened to Greg?

Lynn: It was almost a year later… After we stopped talking, I focused all my energy on my skating. I had just won the Junior Championship when I heard the news. Greg was with his older brother who was driving his car along an icy road. The car crashed. There were no survivors. When I heard about Greg’s accident, my heart stopped!

Mary: It must have been very traumatic for you.

Lynn: It was devastating. I went from winning the Junior Championship to learning about Greg’s death all on the same day! Greg was the kindest person I ever met, and to think of how I left things between us! …So unfinished! I should have told him why I stopped talking to him! He thought I hated him, when the opposite was true! He died not knowing. After Greg died, I was a ROBOT! … Skating all my elements, not really feeling like I was there. I did exactly what I was told.

Mary: He wouldn’t want you to dwell on his death, nor would he want you to skate in a limited way because of what happened!

(They go inside the skating rink)

Lynn: I SHOULD have stood up to my father! I SHOULDN’T have stopped talking to Greg! I SHOULD have told him why I did it!

Mary: You can’t dwell on the past, Lynn. What’s done is over. Keep only the best of your memories.

Lynn: If only I could. When I’m with my father, I feel angry at what happened! And I feel beaten down by his constant criticism!

Mary: He IS very hard on you… because he never made it past regionals. He wants you to go further than he did.

Lynn: My father’s the perfect example of, “Those who cannot do, teach”! Nothing I do is right in my father’s eyes! I can’t endure his way of coaching me anymore!

Mary: You should talk to him.

Lynn: He wouldn’t listen to me! He didn’t listen to me about Greg, and he won’t listen to me now! I stopped talking to Greg, because my father told me to end our friendship. I think of how I shouldn’t have done it [sic]! Especially since Greg’s gone now!

Mary: Your father doesn’t realize that you are still not over your friend’s death.

Lynn: It’s better that he doesn’t know, Mary. My friendship with Greg was personal. It will always be a part of my heart… the part of me that my father can’t criticize! Besides, he doesn’t have to. I do enough of that on my own.

Mary: Greg’s death was not your fault, Lynn. Please don’t punish yourself about it! He’d be proud of what you’re achieving in skating.

Lynn: Yes he would. He loved me. I wish my father felt the same way. When my father’s coaching me, I sometimes think that he HATES me.

Mary: He doesn’t hate you! He sees VICTORY in you. He’s harsh because… his dreams were never realized. As wrong as it is… he’s realizing them through you.

Lynn: At MY EXPENSE! I’m not sure how much I can take! Did you hear the belittling way he talks when he’s coaching me?

Mary: Yes, Lynn, it seems like you’re going through a lot… and at the same time, you’re having communication problems with your father.

Lynn: HE’S the one with the problem! My father won't LISTEN to me! He never does! All he thinks about is making me win! I've reached a point where... I'm not sure I WANT to win anymore! He practically bullied my love of skating right out the window.

Mary: Don't let it happen. Your talent is too precious.