Glory Days

We live in the same town Hubby and I attended college.  In fact, we live about 5 minutes from campus.  Our college was, and still is, a small campus, which is beautiful to just walk around.  There is no big campus, asphalt feel, like you may experience on larger campuses.  There is no need for a map, your GPS, and the planets all properly aligned to find your way to a parking lot that will not tow you.

One Friday, the school posted on Facebook was performing an outdoor production of A Midsummer's Night Dream.  Cool, let's go.  However I paused, at what point do I become too old to attend college functions?  They posted it on Facebook, so it must be open to the public, right?  When do I become the middle age old lady who is trying to relive the glory days.  Let's face it, I just said "Cool, let's go."  Do kids these days even say "cool" in reference to anything other than fall mornings?

Then there is the question of family friendliness.  Can I take my kids, because nothing says embarrassment than  taking your kids to see something that was written for a college, and older crowd. 

I went, along with 2 of my kids.  Apparently, the Magic Tree House book, Stage Fright on a Summer Night, which my kids have listened too multiple times, revolves around Jack and Annie meeting William Shakespeare and them performing in a  A Midsummer's Night Dream.

This evenings production was actually titled A Midsummer's Night Dream ReDreamed, and was retooled, a little, using journal entries from participants in a summer theater camp, placing many of the play's themes in modern day situations.  I know a few of those local high school students who participated in the camp, and I am now wondering which of their writings were added to this production.

We went, I forgot to take a blanket, and forgot that my almost 40-year-old derrier no longer likes sitting on the concrete, grass terrace where the production was held.  I also saw that I was not the only older person, and my kids were not the only younger people.  That is the nice thing of a small college, set in the middle of a residential area, it retains its family friendliness.

While at the play I was reminded of a time when I was a student, attending a concert on campus.  A music group from Florida performed on our campus.  They were a group of boys who grew up Mennonite, their group was even called 606.  (606 was the hymnal number for what has been called the Mennonite anthem, if Mennonites had anthems, From Whom all Blessings Flow.  The hymnal has since been updated, and is no longer located at 606, but it is still called "606".)

Those attending the concert that night ranged in all ages, from college age to conservatively dressed grandparents, who probably could play the Mennonite Game (Wikipedia does NOT have a definition for the Mennonite Game) with the band members, and find no more than 2 degrees of separation  between themselves and these nice Mennonite boys with a band named 606. 

They were a hard rock band, who did not perform one. single. hymn.  Oh, the shock some of those poor, conservatively dressed concert attenders received. 

The foyer of the chapel was filling up fast as people, including me, escaping the noise.