Awaking Emotion & Passion!

As a defiant teenager I'd shut myself in my bedroom, every now and then, for a couple hours at a time and nothing could remove me from that room. Would I be venting in my journal? Listening to noisy music? Going through my wardrobe picking out my outfits for the rest of the week? Browsing through Teen magazines?

No, I'd place one of my favorite CD's into my stereo and let the speakers blare the melodic music from the full production of the Phantom of the Opera. I would sing along, listen intently, be moved, and maybe cry.

I decided to share this secret love affair of mine with the kids today. We made some popcorn, sat on the living room floor and pushed play. For the first half hour Tyra couldn't seem to refrain from asking, "Why isn't there a movie for it?" or "Are we going to sit here the whole time?" But as the musical play went on and I continually verbalized the story behind all the singing they grew increasingly interested.

When Christine visits her fathers grave and sings of wishing he was somehow there again I found Tyra wiping a multitude of tears from her eyes. I worried if I had over loaded her senses. But we didn't give up and listened to the whole production - which is almost 2 hours long.

In the final scene the Phantom, Christine and Raoul are in the Phantoms hideout and are singing simultaneously, yet in perfect intervals, expressing their most intensely heartfelt feelings and desires. The Phantom is upset and is demanding Christine to make a choice between the Phantom or Raoul. If she chooses Raoul he'll kill him. Yet, if she chooses the Phantom she'll live a life full of twisted darkness. Christine is singing to the Phantom about how he has deceived her and Raoul is apologetically singing to Christine for putting her in this predicament by coming to the Phantoms lair.

All quiets down and Christine's clear voice sings the words "...God give me strength" and she kisses this hapless Phantom character, whose whole life was filled with ugliness, darkness and unkindness though, secretly, he always yearned for beauty and love. This act of love weakens his frame and he collapses to the ground.

The mob, who are out searching for the Phantom to put an end to his life, are heard coming closer in the background. The Phantom, with sudden change of heart, tells Christine and Raoul to leave and forget about him, with a soft tone in his voice. They hesitate as they don't know quite what to do. Only when the Phantom raises his voice and cries, "Leave me!" do they obey him and run away together.

All music stills and a simple musical box lightly tinkles the silvery tune to the Masquerade song, "...hide your face so the world will never know you..." In the background the Phantom hears Christine and Raoul making promises of love and commitment to one another...knowing he'll never be a part of this loving relationship he's allowed to take place.

Ty and I were both crying. Tears streaming, emotions going, hearts aching. As I discussed with Tyra the emotions we had felt, I wondered some things...

I wondered if there aren't enough people on the Earth willing to feel. I wondered if too many hearts are closed, numb, distracted, or hardened - hindering the ability to feel emotion. I wondered at the amount of emotion, energy, enthusiasm, and awareness that would arise and thrive in the core of all people if everyone took the time to continually experience a classic play, book, musical, or expression of art.

Emotions arouse dormant personal passions. Those charged passions naturally turn into self-motivation which is used towards fulfilling good purposes for each of our individual mission(s) on this earth.

Let's add more choice events in our life that create emotions which bring about productive results!