"Finally" is a Prolonged Understatement

Forever and a year ago, I posted a blog entry which explained why I consider "the stage" to be my second home. While re-reading it today, I found that I couldn't agree more with what I said then, than I do now.

For many of you who know me, you are aware that this is my final year with Homeschool Performing Arts being a Senior in High School. Last year I participated in HPA's production of Seussical the Musical, and this year I'm participating in Brigadoon. I've grown just as close with the cast members of Brigadoon as I did with the cast members of Seuss (if not more!). We've overcome many challenging obstacles to get to this point, all the while collectively constructing the pieces of a massive theatrical puzzle.

Now, I can now proudly proclaim that show week is upon us.

Tech rehearsals were Friday and Saturday of last week, and fortunately (in my humble opinion), they went very well! Although we still have a few bugs to work out, it appears as though we're going to have another fantastic show. Many of our main characters have spent countless hours discussing back story character information in order to personalize their role, making it as realistic as possible. I admire each of my friends and fellow cast members for their efforts in making this a spectacular production.

Tomorrow is the start of a long, stressful, painstaking, yet ultimately fun-filled, exhilarating week. Our long hours of rehearsing will finally pay off when we perform Brigadoon on stage this upcoming Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Many memories will be made throughout the course of the week, memories which I'm positive I shall carry with me even after I graduate from High School.

In light of graduating from High School, a number of haunting prospects drift through my thoughts regarding Theater... The primary one being that after Saturday of this week, I will not be involved in another production for some time. This thought deeply troubles me! I think back to all the wonderful times I've had on the stage, portraying various characters, from Scotsman to Turtle, to Cowboy to Cafe Owner... The list goes on! Yet, the day looms nearer, when I know that I shan't be visiting my second home for quite a while.

Will God chose to reunite me with the stage someday? This I do not know! I can only hope. Performing has always been a major part of who I am, and I'd like to say that separation from the stage is impossible, but regretfully, this impossibility is an alarming reality I'm forced to face.

What I DO know, is that this week, this final show week, I'm going to give this performance absolutely everything I've got. I cannot emphasize how much I truly mean that. Nothing will stop me from doing my best...

Because this is it.

Another of my previous posts stated that the end of Seussical was not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning. It is the same with Brigadoon. The close of this show is not only the end of something wonderful, but the beginning of something newly wonderful. This concept I shall have to keep in prospect!

To summarize, I am abundantly overjoyed to be back "home" again. The end of the beginning looms nearer and nearer, but this shall not hinder me from giving my best effort. My love for performing outweighs most every feeling of sadness or despair I have.

I cannot be more excited for this upcoming week! It may seem cheesy to quote myself, but I'm going to because I feel it accurately depicts what I'm feeling at this moment.

"Theoretically, according to an actor/performer/theater person, every stage may be considered "home". That is, if you look at it from their perspective.

I find that there are two types of performers (at high school level): those who perform in plays/musicals as an extracurricular activity or because they need an art credit, and those who perform because they love it, because they enjoy being a part of something BIG, because they tap into something magical within themselves when they do it.

I have seen both categories over the years I have been performing on stage.

For us (HPAers), the stage is not simply something we stand on. Not at all.

For us, the stage is a tool, a tool which we use to convey a message to our audience, as well as a second home. When I first walked on the stage at CPAC this afternoon, I was filled with several emotions. Excitement, anticipation, relief, joy, but also peace. As stated in one of my previous posts, everyone finds their "peace" in a different form. For me, I find my peace in a few limited ways, one of which is performing on stage. Today, I couldn't help but think to myself, "well, you're home again." It's been nearly a year since Everyman, and I must confess, I am OVERJOYED to be back on stage again. Performance week is coming up, and I couldn't be happier!

Basically, it's like this. Working with such incredible cast members and directors, coupled with getting back on the stage again, could not evoke more happiness from me than it did today.

I feel so blessed that God has given me this opportunity, to be who I am, and use my talents He has given me to the fullest, for HIS glory. I am eager to give back to Him and work my hardest, hence providing our audience with a performance they shall (hopefully) always remember!"

For those of you who are in Brigadoon and happen to be reading this... LET'S ROCK THIS SHOW! Give it your best. You'll find that there's no greater feeling of success than giving your best and witnessing the positive effects of your efforts. We've done a tremendous job so far, let's finish with a bang. And remember, this one all goes out to God. Without Him, we couldn't have gotten to where we are now. :)

Thank you for reading,

Most sincerely,

~Jacob P. Hartges

Here. We. Go.

Overjoyed

God is SO good.

Watching

They watch you tie your shoes, they take note of what time you go to bed, they observe the amount of time you put into your studies, they listen to what you say, and they analyze how you act. My siblings are always watching.

Being the eldest child means that my younger siblings are always watching my behavior. There are advantages to being the oldest, but sometimes it can be a real challenge.

Advantages to being the oldest include special privileges such as: going out of town with friends, or, staying up late to watch a movie on television, or, making more expensive purchases (i.e. iPod, clothing, car, etc.) because I am trusted to make responsible purchases with my money. Disadvantages include... Close to everything else. The moment I say or do something out of place, my younger siblings notice it.

Hello Reader,

A topic which has been perplexing my thoughts lately, has been the subject of responsibility and leading by example. Instantaneously when I think about this topic, I consider how it relates to my family. As of recently, I have had to make an assortment of future defining decisions regarding college. It has not been easy, but I can see clearly now ("the rain has gone...") that I am headed in the right direction.

Growing up, dad would always say, "Jacob, keep in mind that your siblings are watching everything you do." I guess I had heard the phrase so many times that it got a little old for a while... Thinking about it now, I realize the magnitude of what my dad was talking about!

Side note: It would be the worst thing ever if I was a rebellious punk. I'm just saying. Okay... Granted, when I was younger, I was known to test the limitations of my parents instructions:

(Age 8)

"Jacob, keep your hand away from the iron, you could burn yourself" *Leaves room* ~ Mom

*Jacob touches iron and burns himself*

(Age 10)

"Jacob, make sure to put the cap on the blender before you turn it on." ~ Dad

*Disregards. Causes (colossal) mess* ~ Jacob

(Age 17)

"Jacob, stop at the light ahead..." ~ Mom

*Turns down radio* "Huh?" ~ Jacob

*Screams in terror* ~ Mom

Haha, okay... Maybe I'm kidding about the last one (I know, I know, most of you are pretty bummed to hear that never happened. Sorry for deceiving you). It's a relief I was no more rebellious than that. :)

Back to seriousness. When I think about it, my siblings have always been watching what I do. Sure I was joking a little in the beginning, but when I think about it, they do watch my EVERY move. From tying my shoes to making major decisions about college. "What is big brother doing? Am I allowed to do the same?"

Of course, a majority of the time my siblings are able to watch as I make a decision, and discern for themselves if they want to follow down the same road once they see the final outcome of my choice. Obviously, the best way to lead by example, is to keep oneself in check. This applies when I am not around my siblings as well.

I do not want my siblings to look up to me just because I am their older brother, I want them to look up to me because I live my life in a respectable manner. There is a time to be goofy and a time to be serious. As I enter into the coming years of college, I will need to become more serious as I pursue my desired career goals. For me, the prospect of beginning college is a major step into adulthood (along with acquiring a personal cellular phone... XD). Hahaha, I am not saying that once I start college I shall need to become unnaturally purpose driven and exceedingly serious about my profession. What I am saying, is that as I continue to make important, life changing decisions, I will also need to carry myself in a manner that my younger siblings will watch, a feel confident about following.

I want my siblings (and family in general!) to be proud of me. :)

This concludes the weekly rambling post of sir Jacob Hartges.

Thank you for reading,

~Jacob P. Hartges

On the Business of Busyness

Hello Reader,

The days that stick out most vividly in my mind are the days where I find myself consistently busy with consecutive activities. Some may say that they prefer to be at home, reading a book, completing homework, or doing something productive. I however prefer to be out and about enjoying the beautiful world in which I dwell.

The past few days have been nothing short of entertaining, eventful, unbelievably enjoyable, and flat out busy.

Now, I need not explain much on the subject of exams. We study hard, staying up late into the night in order to fill our brains with mountainous loads of information so that we might regurgitate it back on paper at an alloted time. Energy is spent and nerves are wound tight, but in completing exam week (or exam day, however it works for you), one is filled with an unbearable sense of relief/accomplishment (that is to say, if you do indeed feel confident with the grade you will be receiving).

Last Tuesday was exam day for me (I guess I should have referred to it as "exam day" in the first place...) and like most everyone else, I was exceedingly nervous and tight wound. Though seriously agitated with the small amount of time I had had to study for my exams, I somehow found myself smiling throughout the course of the day.

You may, at this point, be asking yourself, "why on earth would Jacob be smiling like a strange baboon when he should be solidly focused on the ever present EXAMS looming in the distant future?" To this I might reply, "the reason I was smiling, dear Reader, was that I was more solidly focused on the following days events." It is difficult to focus on the present and the worries of today when you find yourself zoning out to 'not so distant' happenings. The moment my exams were completed, I knew deep down that the following days would be filled with...

1. Laughs

2. Pizza

3. Workout tutorials

4. Movies

5. Theater friends

6. Late bedtimes

7. (And) Epic-epicness

This of course helped me to get through last Tuesday. If it were not for the thought of upcoming events, I just might have gone numb.

On the subject of study time... Precalculus received ZERO study time. VERY unfortunate. AP British Literature received VERY LITTLE study time. ALSO very unfortunate. The difference between Precalc and Brit Lit? I am 95% sure I passed my AP Brit Lit exam with an "A." I am 95% sure I failed my Precalc exam. Not just fail, dear Reader, fail badly.

If I were a mature boy, I'd say the reason neglected to study for my exams was because I was lazy. Well, at this precise moment in time, I don't feel like being a mature boy. Most regrettably, I had a 5 page paper due for my Brit Lit class... This specific type of paper however is no walk in the park. Two Thursdays back, I spent 7 hours writing up this paper. It was most evil to say the least. Friday the 14th was an exceptionally lengthy rehearsal at Mt. Hope, which completely drained me of energy and left me unable to attempt any studying. Saturday and Sunday were spent catching up on Precalc and Gov/Econ homework. On Monday the 17, we all went skiing (which happened to be a BLAST by the way).

This is why no studying took place.

Tuesday the 18, came and went faster than I thought it would (thank heavens), which meant a week of above numbers 1-7 straight ahead. EYE-COOD-KNOT-HAVE-BEAN-HAPPIER.

On Wednesday the 19, I relaxed a bit, did some reading, cleaned the house, enjoyed life.

On the morning of Thursday the 20, (10:00 A.M.) I drove over to Fergie's house to hang out for the day. While there, we watched videos on the computer, listened to music, ventured outside for a walk, browsed around the mall for a time, watched a movie, and stayed up late discussing random topics.

On Friday the 21, Ferg drove me over to rehearsal at Mt. Hope at 10:15 A.M. Let me just reaffirm: ALL DAY REHEARSALS ARE MY FAVORITE. There is honestly no place else that I would rather be. The Directors and cast members are great... :)

At 5:30(ish) P.M., I drove out to Grand Rapids with the Orrs and Christine L. to see Meet Me In St. Louis. For the past few weeks, I had been very excited to see the performance. There's something about HPA performances that get me really excited... What can I say, I just adore theater.

The show started at 7:00, so I was glad to be there about half an hour before it began. We got our tickets, found our seats, and visited for a short while before the show. Meet Me In St. Louis was really an impressive show! There were a great many talented performers. I was disappointed however that I did not get the chance to congratulate Clay G. on his performance after the show... Clay was in Seussical the Musical last year as a Wickersham Brother and he and I would talk about gymnastics and such. There was not anyone else in the cast whom I could discuss such matters. Hahaha... Anyhow, I will most likely be seeing him next Sunday at Mr. Cole's Sunday Night Dancing, at which time I can congratulate him on a job well done.

I commend Grand Rapids HPA on another successful year. Meet Me In St. Louis was wonderful. :)

Saturday morning the 22 (yesterday), I was SO tired out... Nothing of significance took place on Saturday. Much sleeping occurred.

Today, Sunday the 23, was spent cleaning the house (yet again) and working on unfinished homework. Nathan returned from a friend's house and Justin returned from up north. While up north he camped out in an igloo, during -14 degree temperatures. Who said boy scouts aren't a force to be reckoned with?? You haven't met my brother. ;)

Please pray that he recovers from a nasty cold (silly below freezing temperatures...)!

This Monday will be tough. Preparing for final exams are the worst thing possible. Hopefully I can get my act together before my Gov/Econ exam tomorrow morning at 8:30 A.M. Oh! And finish my homework...

Thankfully, all of Wednesday will be spent up north at Caberfae for a second ski trip (YIPPEE!)! So I have something to look forward to.

I greatly appreciate your taking the time to read through this entire post.

(Yes, I do naturally assume that you've skipped to the bottom of this post because you realize the fact that I ramble on continuously without stopping. The above statement was earnestly written with the intent of sending you, Reader, on a brief, but heart-felt, guilt trip. [hehe])

Thank you for reading,

~Jacob P. Hartges

P.S. Check our my other blog sometime! : http://www.mellmeds.blogspot.com/

What I Did a While Back

Hello, Reader! So I realize it has been a while since I have posted anything. Well, I've just now decided that I should post a video up on here for those of you who aren't currently using facebook.

A few Wednesdays back, I had absolutely nothing to do for a whole day... So what did I do? I filmed a video.

Earlier that morning I posted a status update on my facebook which read, "(Jacob Hartges) is a social dragonfly. But I can't exactly have a conversation with the laundry." Well, this status ended up serving as the inspiration for a video.

Hope you get a laugh out of it! I'll write something soon! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POWbadcMx84