Leap of Faith - especially for the locals

Not too long ago, I was in Thundercloud Subs hooking it up with some lunchtime sandwich action. Receipt before me, I went to add in the tip to the total amount to pay thanks and tribute to the sandwich constructionists who had once again supplied me with delicious sustenance. At the very goddamn moment I went to put pen to paper, the Violent Femmes song that was playing on the PA, the song which had up to now only been in the background of my consciousness, jumped into one of the most angst-ridden moments known to music wherein I and everyone else within earshot was repeatedly implored to Add It Up.

I gave a little extra that day. You can't ignore shit like that.

Well, I guess you can, and perhaps sometimes you should. But for some reason I didn't, not that day. Tiny little events like that will often cause me to stop and think about the causal, the coincidental, the accidental, the various -al's that our universe may or may not be ruled by. It seems that, regardless of how you view the interactions of all the moving parts that make up existence, at some point you just have to let go. Or more accurately put, recognize that there are some things you don't really have a handle on, never truly did, and likely never will.

Well, I guess you don't have to. You can always try controlling everything. Let me know how that works out for you.

Speaking of trusting in the universe, I seem to have once again signed myself up for a theatrical event that requires deep wells of faith from all involved. Said event is called Slapdash Flimflammery, and is the product of the theater company I was formerly a member of, Loaded Gun Theory. This year marks the fourth occurrence of SDFF, the fourth time that I've participated, and the third time that I've participated as a writer. Of all the things LGT's done, I think SDFF is probably the thing I'm the most proud of primarily because of the amount of trust everybody has to have that somehow, it's all going to work out. All art requires faith, and live performance requires the most, but Slapdash, well, that's in its own league. It goes a little something like this: on the appointed Friday night, a group of writers arrive at the theater, and, armed with nothing more than a laptop and a few guidelines, each set about to write their own 15 - 20 minute play in the course of one night. Directors and actors arrive the next morning to get their scripts and rehearse like mad all day long. Audience arrives at 8 to watch each of the plays performed. It is creation in its most raw form. The first time we did this, we had no idea if it was going to work, or if it was going to fall flat on its face. But I'm here to testify to the fact that it works. There are trips and stumbles, but for the most part, it works. If you're in Austin this weekend, I recommend you check it out. It's magic not to be missed.