10.08.2011

Age and Youth

My daughter and I recently attended a University of Colorado Production of Almost Maine in the King center; a theatre that neither of us had previously visited. Part of our conversation went like this, and seriously, I did not have to make any of this up.

Me: “This is an interesting theatre, very intimate. Even though we are in the back this would be very close in a larger venue. I like the frame and set. The trees extend beyond the frame, do you see it?.”

Kiddo: “Yes, I noticed that.”

Me: “Are the stars moving?”

Kiddo: “I think it is a scrim. We used those in the school productions. It is light weight and moves a little. Imagine if someone with astigmatism was looking at this.”

Me: “I have astigmatism.”

Kiddo: “Oh.”

Me: “I am trying to figure out if they made it with any real constellations or if it is just random.”

Kiddo: “I don’t know. I have never been to Maine.”

I let a little time pass before I laughed and said “It is the same sky above Maine that is above us.”

We both laughed before she said: “I wondered when you would catch that.”

Me: “I am planning to make a quilt kind of like this set. Only I want to use this fabric near the bottom of the quilt so it looks like fireflies twinkling near the ground.” I pointed at a fabric in a little quilted purse I had recently completed.

Kiddo: “You’ve aged. You have reached the quilt making phase and there is no hope for you.”

Me: “Young people can quilt or knit too, and I have just grown into my hobbies.” Then changing the topic away from age, “This building is new. I think this was a street when I went here.”

Kiddo: “You are old.”

Me thinking: Agh, again with the age remarks?

We were quiet for a while then she looked at a flier we had picked up before entering the theatre. “I really want to see Tartuffe! but it is ending on Sunday.”

Me: “Maybe we should go.” I pointed to the notice that said MSCD students free with valid ID.

Kiddo: “I’m not a Metro student.”

Me: “Oh right.”

Kiddo, looking at the flier again: “Look! Seniors $8.00.”