Bullet Hole Goes to the Ballet!

I'm a small town girl. Much like Tressa Jayne Turner, the cockeyed cowgirl whose misadventures figure prominently in my Calamity Jayne mystery series. And, like Tressa, horses were my life. My idea of culture growing up was the rodeo and the horse show. Yeehaw!

Later, as a state trooper who worked security at the state fair, the grandstand shows and the odd concert introduced me to stage entertainment. (Plus, I got to get really close to the stage and performers. Funny how a badge and a sidearm can make that happen.)

Next I discovered musicals and added a bit of sophistication to the good-ol'-girl persona.

I had never, however, been to a ballet performance. It's not because I don't care for dance. Or music. It's just that I...hate mimes. Yep. I can't stand mimes. They rank right up there with clowns on my "Things I Loath List". So, the idea of three hours of sitting and watching what basically amounts to 180 minutes of mime to tell a story didn't exactly trip my trigger.

But recently I had the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone when the Moscow Ballet presented a performance of The Sleeping Beauty at the university two of my triplets attend.

And I loved it!

Of course, it didn't hurt that I knew the story that was being told and didn't have to guess at what was going on. The performance was flawless and engaging and the afternoon flew.

I also got a kick out of all the mothers who brought their own little ballerinas to watch the performance. That alone was worth the price of admission!

When have you stepped out of your comfort zone and tried something new? What was the outcome? Uplifting and rewarding or disappointing and a drag?

Speaking of trying new things, remind me to tell you about the time(s) I volunteered to drive in a demolition derby. Or the time I decided to try water skiing before I learned to swim. Or the time I smoked a cigar at my State Patrol District meeting to protest the "good ole boys club".

Er, maybe not.

~Kat~