Current location:	Charlotte and Ashley's Dancetime Lounge
Current mood:	happy
Current music:	"Close I've Come"-Ben Lee

Rhapsody in Gay, Part 1: A Gayfully Glee Noise
Song lyric of the moment-"If you wanna sing out, sing out"-Cat Stevens

This is the first of a trilogy.

Two weeks ago from this Friday, I performed on stage, in robes, with a choir, for the first time since high school.  I sang on stage for the first time since junior year of college.  Needless to say, I was a bit nervous.  I had no reason to be.

First off, being the new kid has always come with its share of anxieties.  Do I fit in with the group?  Will the others like me?  Am I being myself?  Am I being too much of myself?  Choir was no different, and it didn't help that I was the youngest one there.  Should I be treating these women as my equals?  Do I pay them the same respect as I do my friends' parents (hell, one of them WAS my friend's parent!)?  Is there any kind of generation gap I should know about?  Turns out, not really.  It took me long enough, but I actually made friends.  People are really nice and considerate and funny.  The woman I stood beside, her name is Lisa, and she's a riot.  People cracked jokes backstage.  Lots of people asked me how I enjoyed performing and if I'd return next semester.  Everyone was just so...caring.  I felt like I was a little cousin in a family. 

Second, the singing.  Oh man, the singing!  I joined the choir because I missed singing, but I didn't realize just HOW much I had missed it.  I worked so hard on the music, and I only messed up two songs (one was in Italian and the other I learned the day before the concert).  People said they could hear me, which meant I wasn't cowering in the corner and not singing out.  It was such a rush to be under the lights, smiling and sweating and pretending to smoke (everyone thought that was funny).  I truly felt alive.

Third, support.  We had a contest to see who could sell the most tickets.  I don't know if I won, but I know I sold a lot.  When I came out after the show on Friday, the whole hall was filled with people I knew.  Even my mom came!  It was super exciting to see so many friends who supported me enough to buy a ticket and come.  I'm so lucky to have so many people who love and care about me.  I'm also highly amused at how cute my boss is when she's proud of someone; she's like a little mom! 

All in all, a great experience.  I can't wait to do it again!

-Dr. B