1. On Facebook today, I came across videos previewing and discussing this summer's production of Much Ado About Nothing at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. A rush of the sweetest memories overwhelmed me. When the movie version of this play came out in 1993, my day to day life was immersed in the plays of William Shakespeare. I was teaching a Shakespeare course at LCC, was going regularly to Portland and Ashland to see productions of Shakespeare, and I had begun doing some acting in scenes from plays and eventually was cast in a handful of full-length plays between 2005 and 2011.
I was obsessed with the 1993 movie version of Much Ado About Nothing and returned to the Bijou Theater four or five times in the first week of its run to see it again and again and later, after it left Eugene, I made a special trip to Portland just to watch it again.
2. Today I grooved on the many memories of sharing these Shakespeare memories with people whose company I loved. Much of my disappointment that I couldn't go to Patrick Torelle's 80th birthday party in late June or Joe Cronin's celebration of life at the end of July was centered on presuming some number of these people would be at either or both occasions.
I grooved on these memories in a way similar to playing old favorite songs while working in the kitchen.
As I prepared and cooked a Thai chicken curry dinner out of a HelloFresh bag, memories of going to Shakespeare movies and plays, being a part of all kinds of Shakespeare productions (mostly Shakespeare Showcases), working with Shakespeare's plays with students in the classroom, and thinking of the great times I've had with people I became friends with in those situations made tonight's cooking especially enjoyable.
3. The plays and poems of William Shakespeare have made an indelible impact on my intellect and my heart over the years, having shaped key elements of my worldview and having moved me and given me great pleasure. I've enjoyed this impact the most, not in the solitude of my study, but in the company of others: students and fellow instructors, those whose company I've shared going to plays and movies, fellow company members in productions I've been involved with, and fellow beer and coffee drinkers and fellow diners I've spent time with enthusing about these plays and poems over food and drink.
Remembering all of these joyous experiences with friends, with fellow Shakespeare lovers made this an invigorating and touching day.
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