“You Must Remember This”

A few months ago, I wrote a post How The Lock Down Has Messed With My Brain. Well…let me bring you up to date on what the brain does now.

In in 1992, Joe and I saw Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical The Phantom of the Opera in Toronto, Canada. We both loved it and enjoyed the show.

During lockdown, Andrew started a YouTube channel The Shows Must Go On where one of his musicals would be featured every weekend for 48 hours here in the United States (24 in the U.K.). As expected, one weekend Phantom was featured. It was the 25th Anniversary performance filmed at the Royal Albert Hall in 2011. Wow! What a spectacular, spectacular performance.

So I bought the film on Amazon and have watched it a lot.

Masquerade

Act two starts out with a masquerade ball at the Paris Opera House where the attendees are celebrating the new year and a new chandelier The Phantom made the old one come crashing down at the end of act one. There is a lot of singing and dancing by a company of over 100 people.

Then the Phantom makes his appearance dressed in a flaming red hat and robe and wearing a skeleton mask. He informs the managers of the opera house that he has written a new opera, Don Juan Triumphant, and expects them to perform it. The Phantom’s true love, Christine Daae is to sing the lead instead of the current soprano Carlotta Guidicelli.

Before he lights up the hall with shooting flames and disappears, he tells the managers one thing to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to have their company do the Don Juan opera.

“Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”

The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera musical.

Well….

Anytime something strange happens in the world I am singing that line “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”

• Murder Hornets – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”
• Poisonous Blue Slugs – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”
• Lockdowns Extended – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”
• Slow re-openings – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”
• Saharan Dust Clouds – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”
• Riots – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”
• Looting – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”
• Murder Cops – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”
• Mandatory Masks – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”
• The Constitution Shredded – “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”

Yep. Anything that happens, my mind just keeps repeating that line from Phantom. Guess it is a coping mechanism.

My Dad’s cousin was a psychiatrist in Las Vegas decades ago, he would have a field day trying to analyze my brain. He’s probably up there in heaven telling Dad “Don’t worry, Bill. Her strange brain proves she belongs in our family.”

At least I am not having anymore nightmares about murder, rape and escaping to a neighbor’s house.

No matter what happens this year, remember things could always be worse which is the true meaning of “Remember, there are worse things than a shattered chandelier.”

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to encourage widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s used those skills while managing call center teams, co-facilitating a grief support group, and helping small businesses with various writing and administrative assignments. Michele is a bookworm, and a lover of history, chocolate, red roses, and golden retrievers. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com