Scene Or Act? - Grasshopper

Many movies and plays are made up of scenes and acts. The scene is part of the act, as in the kissing scene in act three of a Hallmark movie. I think we can all grasp the concept.

But I wonder if you’ve ever taken a look at your life and determined whether it’s a scene or an act.

I believe our earthly existence is a collection of scenes, let’s call them moments that make up an act (a life). Think of acts in this context as passages.

Author Gail Sheehy wrote a book defining what she believed makes up these passages. It’s titled: Passages: Predictable Crises of Adult Life.

Whether you agree with Ms. Sheehy’s passages (or acts of life) is not the issue. What I believe is pertinent to a fuller existence is paying attention to whatever scene you’re in. The moments are what give your life vibrance.

Many of us ignore our current moment while planning or dreaming of a future one. That practice just makes up a chaotic act. You will have predictable crises, one after the other, when you miss the moments of your life.

As in movies and plays, the accomplished actors pay attention to the other people in the scene. That’s what makes a scene memorable. If they ignore their fellow costars, the scene falls flat and doesn’t add anything to the act.

You’ve seen enough bad movies to verify this for yourself, but the real question is this: Are you giving attention to the current scene you’re in? If not, it’s gonna be a bad act.

And no one during their final act is thinking “I should have spent more time in the office.” It’s more likely they’re reviewing memorable moments of their life. 

Perhaps it’s time to make your life more about the moments. That way, no matter how many acts your play has, it’s guaranteed to be filled with memorable scenes.

All the best,