The Gift of Belonging.
The start to 2023 has been challenging. Do you feel that?
I feel like we as a community . . . and humanity as a whole . . . are in a snow globe being shaken up and waiting to settle. I feel shifting and change happening.
But I am grateful for one thing . . . I don't have to live in this shifting snow globe alone.
I have my people.
And they have me.
Can I be vulnerable with you for a moment, Friends?
If you've come to our shows, you may not realize it, but I am a total introvert. Like the most introverted of people I know! I need massive time alone in quiet to regather my energy and fill my cup back up! People are shocked when I tell them that. Super introverted here. 🙋🏻♀️
And because I am ultra-introverted, I can fall into the trap of thinking that I am good alone. I don't "need" people. I fell into that lie for many years. And it was just that . . . a lie.
Community is essential for our personal growth and the growth of humanity. We thrive in a community. We learn in community. Yes, we can get hurt in community, but we also heal in community. It took me a very long time to come to terms with the fact that I was not created to do life alone. I was created to live and thrive with people. Yes, I need my time to rest alone. But it's moments of time. Not an entire life alone.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdowns, the food delivery services, the massive amounts of entertainment delivered to your TV & phone, working from home . . . all of this has further isolated us from each other. No wonder stress, anxiety, depression, and suicide are at an all-time high.
We are lonely.
And we need people.
I am so grateful for our Legacy community of volunteers, families, and students who have made these past few weeks more bearable. We have cried. We have laughed. We have told stories of pain and hardship, and we grew up together in the past few weeks.
The beautiful shows you see on our stage, the talented folks who make it possible . . . that's the overflow of what our rehearsals and classes are. A group of people coming together and doing something that makes belonging matter.
The thing we do is music, theater, and art.
It makes belonging in this community matter.
It gives us something to look forward to each week.
It gives us someone to talk to, share life with, and laugh with.
Our time together makes the days when we are shaken feel more settled.
It makes the hard times more bearable.
It lets us share the good times with people who care about us.
It makes us feel that we are not alone in the world.
Friends, take it from an ultra-introvert who tried very hard to do life alone in a bubble. For many years, I was surviving . . . day to day . . . getting through the rat race while battling severe depression and anxiety.
But when you are with your people, you do more than survive.
You thrive.
We invite you to join and be a part of the Legacy; of the belonging. A community that, if you are willing to join in the flow, will stand by you and support you all while having a lot of fun giving back to our community through The Arts.
We are holding auditions for our upcoming musical, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and we'd love for you to join us. We make auditions easy, non-stressful, and fun. We also have an audition workshop coming up on March 4th for anyone who is nervous about auditions, would like to meet our staff, and wants to get a leg up on their audition songs and scenes.
Doing new things is hard.
I know it is.
But sometimes, stepping out of our comfort zones is exactly what we need to make belonging in this world matter.
And hey . . . there's nothing that great on Netflix anyway!
If you have any questions about our audition process, what it’s like, how to get involved, please call me and let’s chat. 910-548-6323. I’d be happy to help in any way I can.
💜 Erika Bain
