What do you do when there’s an elephant in your family?  You know the kind, the big huge hulking beast sitting in the middle of the living room that everyone does their best to walk around, talk over, and generally pretend isn’t there.  No, I’m not talking about a particular person, I’m talking about an attitude, an idea, a problem.  Most families have one (or more); things that they are uncomfortable talking about.  Often most of the individuals in the family agree that SOMETHING needs to be done, but no one will be the first to stand up and say: “Look!  This isn’t right.  This elephant is here, I actually see it and acknowledge that it is a problem!  Listen to me, I will no longer pretend all is ok, the status quo no longer needs to be followed!”

OK, so I’m maybe being a little overly dramatic.  Something said or written by a particular family member to a different family member (yes, I was eavesdropping) was very hurtful and I for a moment was going to call or fire off an email to that first family member telling them exactly what I thought about them.  The second family member convinced me not to do that for at least a couple days (he or she does not realize how long I really can hold a grudge!).  Instead I decided to blog about it, but the problem is that the only folks who read my blog are family members.  So here I am, stuck.  Still, it did feel better even though no one (except maybe the second family member who convinced me not to alienate the first family member and possibly half of the family) really knows what I’m whining about.  Ah well, good quality whining does not really require that anyone else in the world understands why you’re unhappy.

Mom and Dad were out here this past weekend to visit.  I was on call, so unfortunately I was gone quite a bit of the time.  We did get a couple of pinochle games in, but the guys won all 3… we gals could just not get a good hand between us.  I also bent their ears about my theater idea and took them on a half walking/half driving tour of main street to look at the old buildings.  They agreed that the outside of the theater looked pretty rough, and unfortunately isn’t really a very interesting “historic” building anyway.  We also stopped at the little museum in town.  One of the ladies that volunteers there was a wealth of information and we really enjoyed that trip.  We bought the first of two books about the history of Jerauld county and Wessington Springs (goes to 1980, I’ll probably get the update 1980 to 2005 pretty soon).  It was a fascinating book, Dad had the thing almost read by the time they left.  Then yesterday at the regular SACC (Springs Area Community Club, aka the old Kiwanis club) meeting I talked a little about theater ideas and had quite a bit of interest (and a fair number of naysayers too).  I prodded Matthew into making me a website and he did:  it’s now at springscinema.com.

I have a new ambition… or dream… or whatever you want to call it.  It’s not so much new, as something old that has a possible outlet.  I won’t say much else.  If I have piqued your interest, check out the new tab up above (Springs theater).