Things that happened along the way

Friday night, I drove to Wisconsin to see Kevin perform in "A Funny Thing Happend on the Way to the Forum." I love Sondheim. I think he is a genius. I think he is everything people thought (think?) Andrew Lloyed Weber was (is?) and more. Sondheim is a genius. I'll even forgive him for that damn clown song.

So imagine my distinct pleasure when, on my way to Elkhorn, WI, I took a curve along northbound Route 12 to see a sunset that made me almost pull over just to appreciate it.I'll apologize now for not bothering to PhotoShop my windows clean.

It was breathtaking in person; it made a long stretch of highway beautiful. But I did not choose to pull over to appreciate it because I was running late for Chinese food.

We ate delicious crab Rangoon and headed to the theater to see the show. Kevin was a hoot. The guy who played Hilarium was hilarious. How fitting. The show itself was ... well, it was a community theater production of one of my favorite shows. There were some shining moments, most of which featured Kevin.

Of course after the show we went for a little karaoke, which was weird beyond words. There were lots of people, many of whom I didn't know, and a little more eighth-grade drama of the "do you think he likes me?" sort than I generally enjoy at the ripe old age of not 30. Really, I don't care whether he likes you or not. I wish you cared a little more about all the other people here to have fun with you, and a little less about one guy who isn't showering you with attention.

Which I suppose brings me back to the sunset and what it came to symbolize for me. There are two kinds of people in this world, as far as I'm concerned: People who choose to be happy, and people who aren't happy. None of us have a perfect lot in life. In fact, for some, the day to day has the potential to really suck. We all go through rough patches, but those of us who decide to be happy generally succeed in feeling that way. I've long been surrounded by people who help me make that decision, and I hope I've helped them do the same. Because along the most boring stretches of straight, flat land, sometimes you round a curve and you're treated to a sunset that is like no other. Sure, it can't balance my household budget or provide me with a shoulder to cry on when the nights get lonely, but most of the time, it's enough.