It's Almost Over

There are only a few experiences in my life that I can say with all honesty have transformed my life. Transformed is a big word and it has a lot of meaning wrapped up in it. So I am careful to limit identifying what those tranformative experiences are--lest one consider that one small thing may discount the rest.

So what has transformed me? Here is a brief list (there are others but I feel that some things need to remain private for my own well being).

1. My relationship with God, trusting in Jesus, and learning about God's Kingdom experience.

2. Coming out. I could write page after page on the benefit and experience of doing this--and perhaps I will some day soon.

3. Seeing the musical Rent, on Broadway (seven times).

You see, it's that last one that may cause some who haven't seen it to think I am being 'over the top', or have seen it but don't understand why it's so incredible to me. I have friends who've seen it and hated it. But for me, when I saw it and what it revealed to me utterly changed my life forever. Today I own the movie based on the Broadway hit starring the original cast members. I also own and have in my iPod the cast album of the show. It's messages of hope amid devastation rivet my soul in ways other life experiences have been unable to sustain.

PageOneQ has a great article on the impact of the show and how it's closing after 12 years. Reading the article, I was transported back to 1998 when I saw the show with wide-eyed amazement and felt again some of the emotions that I experienced then. And, it brought a tear to my eye too. Sure, I am sentimental. Still.. it was a great experience and I count myself fortunate to have been affected by it.