526,600 minutes in a year. At least that’s what the theme song from ‘Rent’ says. I bet you didn’t know that. Neither did I. It seems the writing to express my thoughts desire is back.
When I was a senior, or maybe a year after I graduated I went to a Sky View drama production. They do two musicals a year and then they do a bunch of short scenes or songs from various places. The year I went they did a lot of Broadway plays, like Phantom, I think there was a Les Mis song, and Hairspray. The one they opened up with was “Seasons of Love” from the play “Rent” It starts out singing 525,600 minutes...How do you measure a year in the life of a woman or a man? After listing various things the song concludes with "How about Love? Measure in love" It opens for a play that take place over the course of a year with a group of friends. One of the reasons I love this song is because it brings up the idea of how do you measure your life? One can always measure it in the tangible, such as money or objects accumulated. Or in places lived, jobs worked, classes attended. I look at the past year and I ask myself how does my last year measure? And how do I measure it? Have I grown? Have I changed? Can I measure in love? I know it sounds stupid..gosh girl you just got married in the past year, I hope you can measure in love! I know that. There's oodles and oodles of love to be measured with Jeremy. But what about elsewhere? I look at the time I spent in school, and especially the time I spent at work with my various clients. And the time spent with family and friends. As I think about it, the way I want to measure life in the moments of happiness. Moments that have enriched my life, or the lives of those around me. I hope my four seasons could be considered filled with love. What about you? I'm including a youtube clip at the bottom. How does your life measure?
There is one other song that I love in this musical. Most of the characters are HIV Positive. One actually develops into full-blown AIDS and passes away. Mark, the only character we know for sure doesn't have HIV goes. He is invited to attend a support group for HIV people. They talk about their fears hopes and dreams. There is one segment that sticks with me. In particular this line. "There's only us, there's only this. Forget regret or life is yours to miss. No other way. No day but today." Today is all that's promised us. Tomorrow is a hope. We cannot let the regrets of yesterday and fears of tomorrow make us miss today. We have to love today for what it brings, for that is all we have. Its a good reminder to me to live my life today. Its too easy for me to look to the future and wish for it, that things will be better. Or look to the past and miss it. It reminds me of the country song "Your gonna miss this, you're gonna want this back, your gonna wish these days hadn't happened so fast." Love today and make the most of it. That's my goal.
Rent has a good theme about how to measure the life of a person, and accepting that today is all we have. I love that about it. But it does portray a bohemian lifestyle, and everything that goes with that. Sex, drugs, gay/lesbians, and some crudity. I love the tender moments between the friends as they admit and overcome their fears to live the life that has been given them, I don't watch this movie anymore. The bad outweighs the good for me. If you want to read the storyline Wikipedia does a good summary. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rent_(film)
Seasons of Love
No Day But Today
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