Young Sage



Autograph seekers in Union, IA

INDIANOLA, IA - Friday afternoon found us at BCLUW Middle School in Union, a rural community about 70 miles northeast of Des Moines, for a performance of the abbreviated Così Fan Tutte. As the crew was breaking down the set afterwards, I ventured outside to get some fresh country air. As I looked down the hill upon a large group of kids playing on the football field, I was approached by a young girl who was eager to share some insights about life with me.

"Watching the kids play?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess I am," I replied, as kids below chased each other gleefully and hurled footballs through the air. "It reminds me of when I was a kid."

The girl turned to me, then looked down the hill at her contemporaries. "Not a care in the world when you're a kid," she said slowly and pensively. "When you get to be an adult, you have to, you know, get a job and pay bills and be responsible and stuff. You know what I mean?"

Of course I knew what she meant, but I was nevertheless taken aback by her sage remarks. Before I could respond, she continued. "Being an adult must be very serious - not as much fun as being a kid. Unless, I guess, you're married and have some kids of your own. Then you can spend time with them and play with them. I bet playing with your own kids is probably a lot of fun."

I nodded in agreement and asked my sophisticated little friend, "How come you're not down on the field playing with the other kids?"

"I'll probably go down there in a little while," she replied nonchalantly. After a pause, she lightened her voice and said, "I enjoyed the show. Can I have your autograph?" Her sudden change of tone suggested to me that the lesson was over and that she had shifted back into child mode. "Do you have a pen? And a piece of paper?" I chuckled inside, finding humor in the fact that a girl so clearly in tune with life's big picture would ask for an autograph without the necessary tools on hand. I told her that, if she got a piece of paper, I would be more than willing to sign it. She promptly disappeared, then returned with a program from the show and four of her classmates.

Within a few moments, I had signed three copies of our program and two copies of Little House on the Prairie. It wasn't long before my wise friend and her companions found their way to our tour van, where they added my colleagues' signatures to their collections. If you take a look at the picture above, you can probably guess which one was the little philosopher. Minutes after that, we were on our way out of town. Someday, when that girl grows up, she'll do just fine. She seems to have things figured out pretty well already.

Posted: Sat - April 2, 2005 at 12:41 PM      

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