Whether your microphone is on or not...

Last week, we (as a cast) had a little...problem. Actually, this problem had been going on since the beginning of our run. The problem was a person. I'm sure this person's a good man, but he had been saying some things that were a little insulting and without tact to our director, who also happens to be my grandpa. He was saying these things in front of a theater full of people, trying to be funny, but they just didn't come across as funny. The comments hurt. But that's kinda beside the point.

We had all been talking about this man in the dressing rooms, saying how much we wished he wouldn't say those things. We just wanted him to shut up, to put it quite bluntly. I know those things weren't good to say, but we still said them to each other. Anyway, a member of our cast, Oscar, went to do mic check on closing night, and he was saying things about this man that were rather rude. The man's son was up in the sound booth, and it made him feel really bad to hear those type of things about his father. Oscar felt bad after he realized what had happened, and I'm sure he regretted those words, but regret is not the point.

None of us girls knew what had happened. We were in the dressing room, talking about this guy, when Ernestine (who had already heard this story) said, "Remember guys, everyone can hear everything you say when your microphone is on." We all sat there and thought, "That's a given, but...most of us don't even have microphones."

When I finally heard what had transpired I realized why Ernestine said what she did. It got me thinking...the point is not that we need to be nice and friendly when everyone can hear what we say, but when no one can hear what we say as well. It made me feel bad that I have this kind of mentality sometimes, and I'm not always as kind as I should be. It made me feel horrible! Even if we're thinking things that might be kind of rude, we definitely don't need to make our feelings known. In fact, we should do all we can to have good feelings and not think negatively. It's hard sometimes. It's hard all of the time, actually. But all I know is that I'm going to try my best to do the right thing....whether or not my mic is on.