Sincerely Sophi

The song "Sun is Gonna Shine Again," from the musical Bright Star has been floating around in my mind recently -- and not just because it is incredibly repetitive. This song was a moment of persistent hope in the face of suffering in Bright Star. The community of women at the railway station move downstage in a line facing the audience, looking out at the tracks and reminding themselves and each other that the sun will shine again.  Recently, on a hike with some folks from theatre, we came upon an old abandoned railroad station. It looked exactly  like what I imagine this moment in Bright Star to be like. I stood on a ramp looking out past the train tracks at the rainy trees and grey, cloudy, sky. Only a few days ago, I had felt the senioritis slump hitting hard. But then, the sun came out. My mood, energy, and motivation rose significantly. I felt encouraged and reinspired to hit the last few weeks of school running hard.  The sun faded after a few days and I continued t...

In my acting classes we begin class with a check - in. This is an opportunity to say whatever you need to say to be more present. My professor said something along the lines of, "I'm learning to be friends with the feeling of being behind." Already overwhelmed with my full schedule and many assignments, I sunk in my chair and muttered with a laugh, "well the feeling of being behind and I are going to be besties." I didn't realize at the time how true this statement would become. As a recovering perfectionist, learning to be okay with failure and not getting everything done all the time has been a continual life lesson. Sometimes being behind is due to procrastination or laziness -- but in the case of this semester, constant striving and hard work has left me with many assignments overdue on the "to-do" list. I'm grateful for professors who have been gracious and worked with me, trusting me to get the work done as I can.  So this semester, I...