What Is Real?

I’m on my way home. Wait, really?

Let’s start that again. I am sitting here on a train on my way back from Boston to NYC. Up until three weeks ago, I called Sharon, Ma. home. But this weekend things became a bit muddled. You see, I am currently living in NYC while Noah is in intensive rehearsals for “Billy Elliot.” We’re here (or maybe there?) for five weeks in total. We leave for good on June 10 when the road trip begins in Des Moines, Iowa. But for now, Noah and I are staying in a small but comfortable apartment near Times Square. It has quickly become home to us. The fridge is stocked, the closets and drawers are filled with our clothes. Even the bathroom medicine cabinet looks like people actually live here.

Last week, when I booked my bus ticket from NYC to Boston and train ticket from Boston back to NYC (yes, my husband Joel is calling me “bus” person), things got a bit confusing as I tried to review plans with Joel. Me: “I’m leaving on Thursday at 3:30 and coming home on Monday at 8:30.” Joel: “I thought you were coming home on Thursday?” Me: “No, I’m coming home on Monday. Wait – I’m coming home Thursday, you’re right. I’m returning to NYC on Monday.” Geez Louise, what’s going on here?

And so it went. What was my “real” life all about and where was it? As the Bolt bus pulled out of NYC, things started to look greener and seem clearer to me. Literally. I realized I haven’t seen much green since last summer in suburban Boston. In L.A. things tend to be on the brown side; in NYC, I’ve been living in a concrete jungle; and when I left Massachusetts in April, the trees were just beginning to bloom. Yet on Thursday, it was if I were seeing in Technicolor. All the colors of spring just popped. When I got home to Sharon, the colors got even brighter, sharper you could say. The vibrant green trees and grass, flowers of

Ah, the colors of springtime in Sharon!

all colors, and glistening blue of Lake Massapoag reminded me how much I missed nature (hawk, deer and fox sightings over the weekend didn’t hurt either).This weekend was all about Ethan, my oldest son who just turned 16. Some of you touring parents will understand the importance of shifting priorities to your other, equally special children. You will also appreciate the challenge this presents when you are not home (or back “there”) often. This weekend was certainly no vacation from the hectic nature of Noah’s rehearsal schedule in New York. It included a giant backyard birthday party for Ethan on Friday night. What am I crazy? You could say so…..Joel, Mark and I played chaperones/hosts to 60 teens who Ethan said “ate tons of food”. We ordered trays upon trays of Chinese food and by the tail end of the evening, it was quite evident that the 16-18 year-old girls had no intention of eating. I should have known but it’s been a long time since I was 16 and I have no problem chowing down in front of men.So we packaged up enough food to feed 50 and took it over to the local homeless shelter. All told, the night was a success for Ethan. The residents of the Mainspring House in Brockton were pretty happy with the food delivery too.

Saturday included two performances of Seussical The Musical (Ethan played Mr. Mayor) and the Jamnesty festival (a fundraiser for the high school’s Amnesty International chapter) at the lake to see Ethan perform 21 Guns and other cool tunes with his A Cappella group, Pitch, Please! (Click to see video) And on Sunday, we attended the annual fundraiser for the Un-Common Theatre Company, where Ethan performed with his comedy troupe, Improv Soup. I guess there was no escaping my life as an Accidental Stage Mom. Oh, and I managed to teach two yoga classes at Breathe Joy Yoga also. But even with all this activity, my real life felt like a dream state. And here I sit on the Amtrak train (I guess I’m a one-way bus person) preparing to launch back into my day-to-day New York city life. I already miss the greener pastures of Sharon, Ma.

So what is real? Not really sure. All I know is that I feel as if I am headed home.