Wednesday, February 6, 2008

A Red Neck Ponders The Ballet

Growing up was challenging. My father is the orginal outlaw redneck. My mother was a hippie/flower child. This led to many internal conficts as a kid. Dont get me wrong, I love my parents. But it can be challenging to hear Waylon Jennings with your dad and Simon and Garfunkel with you mom. I appreciate my mom making learn about culture. She impressed in me a love of reading and the arts.

Monday night my wife and I were the guest of Dr. Dale Lunsford, president of LeTourneau Univeristy in Longview where I graduated from in 2000. The St. Petersburg Russian Ballet was performing Romeo and Juliet. Now I have never been to a ballet. I have seen a couple of differrent movie versions of the story. My mom made sure I saw the movie and we read it in school.

We had a fancy dinner with the president before the performance. Lots of pretty food. Some of it was rather disgusting but, I ate what was set before me as the Bible says without asking questions of concience. At the same time I tried to keep my pinky finger extended. During the dinner we got to meet some of the ballerina's. Only one of them spoke english.

We went over to the Belcher Center to see the performance. I really did enjoy seeing the performance. It was incredible. Now as I was appreciating the performance and the music, I had an internal struggle. I felt something rising up within me that I had to fight against. It was the spirit of "Larry the Cable Guy." I felt many comments and jokes that wanted to come out of me. They revolved around tight pants, flesh tone body suits, guys with make up, a girl who looked like cat woman and various trailor park humor. I thank God I was able to overcome and persevere.

If you ever have the chance to see a well done ballet, do it. Put on your best sunday go to meeting clothes, have a nice dinner (a place where they use plates) and go and enjoy it. It will bless you. Just remember....PINKY OUT!!!!!!