To Do or Not To Do

Did you know that Swan Lake is three hours long? Probably you did, but I didn't...until today, when I saw it. I've been to the ballet before, but never to see Swan Lake, so when it came up as an option on one of the home ed groups last spring, I booked it, even though it was months away. E loves ballet, and I thought Z would like it as well. I was correct about this, and it was not a mistake to book it. But I think I must've become too influenced by modern life; three hours of dancing with no dialogue was a bit much for me.

But at least it was the only thing we had to do today. My goal has always been to only do one big thing each day, and have days off in between big things. That hasn't been happening as often lately as I would prefer, but now that it's January, I'm recommitted to this. Not because of a New Year's resolution, but because I am tired. I'd prefer to feel well rested. I also held to my commitment to forego our usual school stuff if we have a big event. Six hours total out of the house qualified this as a big event. We skipped our lessons, and I spent that time caramelizing onions instead. I have no regrets about this.

Despite my own difficulty enjoying three hours of ballet, it was an excellent production (Swan Lake, it's not you, it's me), and we didn't have to leave the house until after noon. Coming home during rush hour wasn't the most fun ever, but we made it without too much discomfort and even got seats on the Tube for part of our journey. While I can't say I'd do it again, I would say that if I had a time machine and could go back to last spring and tell myself whether or not to book these tickets, I would say yes. Swan Lake is legendary, and I had always wanted to see it and give the girls a chance to see it. They came home inspired. I'm glad I made this happen for them, and for me as well.