Friday, December 21, 2007

Sigh...

Why must people be so rude?

There we were to watch the Christmas Story. It was beautiful and engaging. There were flying angels, camels, donkeys, sheep and more (note,out of that list only the angels were flying). Mary and Joseph were in the manger stall with their infant King. The Innkeeper and his wife were honoring the newborn King, the shepherds were receiving great news from Angels flying overhead...

The lady in front of us was chatting away on a....
CELL PHONE!!!!!!

I wanted to yell and scream at her that she was being RUDE!!!

I didn't! So, here I am on my own, personal space...yelling and screaming.

What is up with people in America! Don't they care anymore about social graces and obvious...obvious courtesy?????????

This woman was on the phone for almost all of the second half. She was talking in at least her normal voice if not louder to be heard over the show. Every time there was opportunity to clap I made sure I clapped LOUDLY and as near her head as I dared.

People!

Other than that and a few other irritations...this woman and her group talking down the isles to each other, children and adults noisily opening their snacks and acting as if it were a baseball game instead of a reverent Christmas Play...guess we got the wrong seats....

This was the first time in our more than 17 year association with this theatre that this has ever happened!!!!! It was no fault of the theatre. People are just getting more and more rude! Remember, we see every show at least once in a show run so I wouldn't want anyone not to come based on this rant.

The show remains wonderful and I was still brought to tears. The miracle of this birth in the appointed time and place, the recognition of the people when they saw the child of Who He was. The knowledge of what this Baby would go through and His purpose for coming. It is just all so moving.

Then there were the lighter moments. Toward the end of the show when the Kings come from afar they bring in camels. Now, two of the camels were perfectly behaved. The third, on the side stage nearest us had an attitude. Warren has seen these camels get pretty nasty sometimes...this one is young and is in training. He...or she...gave its handler quite a workout. It refused to bow in reverence. Instead it pranced to the music. If I hadn't been so concerned for the handler it would have been funny. Ok, so it was still funny...a prancing camel who was supposed to be still and worshipping.

Sometimes I feel more like prancing than worshipping* too. Hmmm...just like the camel. Good thing my handler is the Holy Spirit with that still small voice that gets me back on track, eh?

*Note: I am not referring to styles of worship...I referring to my heart attitude. Just so you know I am not saying that there is only one way to worship....Smile.

4 comments:

Tracy said...

So sorry your production was so interrupted...Cell phones should be checked in at the theatre door and picked up again when leaving! There does seem to be a laxity among the population regarding cell phone etiquette, or rather these seems no etiquette at all. No manners, no etiquette, no respect for people around one another. It is sad. But not everyone is that way, thank goodness! I don't have a cell. I think they can be great things to have in emergencies but that's it. I don't need one. I feel that cell phones escalate a certain self-importance among people which is not becoming. Surely everyone has time for a two hour theatre production without having to have a cell phone handy. Still we've all have a similar experience, Beki. Hope next year's performance will be much quieter among the peanut gallery! Happy Holiday! ((HUGS))

Anonymous said...

And, sometimes we spit ugliness just as a camel spits....

Rudeness and customer service are both in the same boat with me. People are only concerned about THEMSELVES!!!

My Jill who has learned Disney's CS ethics, goes to other stores and can't believe how they treat customers.

Melissa G said...

That's too bad that your experiance wasn't as peaceful as past years. But it sounds like you still got the point of the production. Yes, sometimes i'm prancing in my heart instead of kneeling just like that camel!
=)

Scott said...

they should post the photos of cell-phone offenders at theaters and such.
Much like they post bounced checks at cash registers.