#he'd be the kindest most understanding and passionate teacher

[philiponmycracker]

I know nobody cares but I have to get this out cause I just watched a movie called Jumper (a good idea for a movie, very mid-ish execution I'm afraid), one of the last movies left in my Tom Hulce filmography watchlist.

But almost half way through and he was nowhere to be found?? So I sat through the whole thing for 1h24m getting incresingly confused as time went by cause the more we go into the story the more unlikely it seemed he'd show up out of nowhere.

Then finally the credits roll and he is actually there in the credits??

Convinced that I have finally lost my sanity for good, I went back to watch from the very beginning again and behold... there he is.

This gif is the entire scene, the whole 2 seconds I swear to god

I literally blinked and missed it and had to go back wtf How is he even credited as a "Mr. Bowker" he has no fuckn dialogue??? What the actual hell Mr Hulce??

I thought Daniel Rocket was the most random obscure role he took, but look at this shit, incredible

[kitsoa]

I just finished up my 3 days of teacher training today (and there's more work days and meetings next week) but while I'm putting some finishing touches on my classroom, taping up the floors, stapling posters and loading up supply bins, I got an email.

My choir. The chorus that's I've been the proud Principal Alto for going 10 years now... the choir is dissolving. There will be no 51st season. They voted on it yesterday at the board meeting... the member enrollment is down. Ticket sales are low next to all the expenses. It's the standard excuse. I don't see the check books. I can't know.

But to say this was unexpected is an understatement. It's always been a small but passionate organization. It serves the metro-east side of my area, missing out on the competition but also patronage of the greater St. Louis arts scene. We get a lot of older airforce families and young music graduates in the fold. I'm one of the few paid singers, poached for the role while I was still a baby in college, but I take a lot of pride in it. And since I'm one of the younger people they all kinda dote on me. I love these people so much. They are passionate and supportive and appreciative. I love making music with them. They are the kindest people to ever surround me.

The director is someone dear to me. He's taken me in as his protege. He's a model of professionalism and respect. He never let's the many years and familial relationship between us get in the way of holding firm boundaries. He always asks to consent to additional projects and was keen to make sure I understand my professional value. He'd never let me do things for free and made a point to make sure that was clear. He was very firm in fostering loyalty with his principals in the best way possible-- abundant respect and clear communication. I could never leave him for a competing chorus. Even now I moonlight at the church he plays for. He puts me on recording projects for his compositions. I get a bottle of wine from him for Christmas every year. I love that man and all he stands for.

But it seems all that love and loyalty is hemorrhaging out with nowhere to go. I feel so lost. All of those concerts and rehearsals and Gala dinners and beautiful songs and opportunities, just gone and over. I'm at a loss. I seriously thought I would be there forever. This was my singing home. My music family.

I couldn't finish out the 50th season with them because of my voice injury. I was devastated sitting in the audience for both of the spring performances-- wondering when I would sing with them again -- desperate to sing with them again. Yeah I have my church job and I love those people too but this group was the choir I wanted to return to. I wanted to get better to sing for that director again. I imagined my triumphant return and how happy that would make me.

And that's not going to happen again. I feel like a ship that's lost it's mooring. It's a cavity in my heart. Those people I want to see. The music I want to make. God. It's too much.

Of course the logical step is that I look for another chorus. There's a group that would take me, hopefully as a principal but there are a million and one drawbacks not to mention I can't join them midyear when I expect to be in proper singing condition so it's an automatic gap year. I won't be able to enjoy the company of most of those singers since I was technically a transplant outside their area in the first place. I don't really want to think about it. I miss everyone already. I never realized I could miss them forever.

I just feel the need to eulogize something vital to my identity. A group I gave my heart to. I'm so sorry.