Tonight I took the rehearsal photographs for “Comic Potential” which opens in about two weeks at the Pentacle Theatre. They certianly have me laughing! Since the first night I walked into their rehearsal hall to start photographing their head shots for the program, there was one actress that stood out to me. From the get-go, she made a point of learning my name, saying hello, and sincerely asking how I’m doing- every time she sees me. And I can tell she really means it too. She looked at me and didn’t just see someone with a camera, one of the crew, she saw a person, a soul. She treats people as who they really are, not just their labels. She sees with Divine eyes of love and it clearly comes across in even casual aquaintance. She stood out to me so much in fact, I asked the theatre director about her and heard a funny story in return with confirmation she is indeed, as kind as she appears to me.
It may not seem like much, but for those who have experienced that unexpected joy of an unknown friend among people you barely know or don’t know at all, you know it can make a world of difference. Such sincerity can brighten an entire day, or more. It certainly makes my job of photographing them something I look forward to instead of something else on my list to get done. Her smile and the smiles of others in the cast make it a whole lot more fun and it warms my spirit everytime she does.
My prayer is for that kind of sincerety and love to grow in me, that I may look at the people around me, see who they really are, and treat them as such. What a gift that would be to give.
365-09 #173