The Exhaustion of March: The Push To The End

You can do it. You the performer, the instructor, the judge, the parent, the tabulator, the announcer, the  board member. We are almost there. It's almost the end. There is an exhaustion that fills the air as the weekend draws near and the time ticks toward April. This journey started at different times for different people, but for most all of us it started somewhere back in the fall. Many of us have worn multiple hats and have become experts at mulit-tasking and juggling life. We have drug flag bags to the gym and suitcases to the airport and most of us are so sleep deprived that holding a thought in our heads for longer than 5 seconds would be a gift.

The Board member has been planning, budgeting, debating, and stressing over details such as how much money can be spent on recorders and if we can have a curtain this year at Championships. The board member has been fielding emails, phone calls, and negotiating contracts. They have been meeting to make sure every show comes off without a hitch.

The chief judge started in September looking at shows, connecting with judges, and creating schedules...all to create the perfect panel for some show in March, when there weren't even any units registered for the show. They tried to schedule judges for multiple shows all while trying to plan for their own judging schedule.

The judge started looking at his or her schedule and tried to find the perfect balance of travel and local flavor. They started in October trying to plan for a flight that doesn't take off for 5 months. The judge was creating a calendar that would take them to the airport every Friday starting in January and hoping that flight isn't delayed. They have  read old criteria and learned new criteria. They learned to not say the word "expression" anymore, but  "dynamic," instead. The judge worked to make sure they knew their information, because putting that number down is very personal to them and they want to get it right.

The parent has been paying dues, chauffeuring children to and from practices, and watching their child go through emotions they can't possibly understand. The parent; our unsung hero, is making sure our performers are ready to go on show day. They make sure no flag or sabre is left behind. They pack lunches, chaperone trips and even change their work schedules to accommodate random time changes in the rehearsal schedule. They are fundraising like mad! They are working the concession stand and sewing flags.

The instructor. They are the designers, technicians, creative flow of our sport. The show has gone from the mind to the storyboard to the performer to the judge and audience. It is March and this is what they know. They know whether it was a good idea or not. They have had multiple viewings and multiple people give them feedback. Sometimes they have heard from a stall in the bathroom when no one knew they were listening, "What was that!" They put their passion and ego's on the line. It is March and their passion and ego's have taken a beating. It doesn't matter the competitive success, because in March these people have toiled and fretted and celebrated their craft for months and it's all about to come to fruition. The instructor has been managing performers and parents and judges and school administrators.

The performer. What about those young people who have given up hours of free time while their friends went to concerts, parties, and dates? The performer gave up study time, but still managed to get the grade. They learned valuable life lessons such as how to get along with a person they had to spend an entire year with. They have been practicing with the same people since the summer. They learned how to budget time and budget money. The performer learned that when they practice they get better and when they don't...there are consequences. The performer stood on a floor in a costume they may not have liked and put it all on the line in front of people they have never met before. The performer, gave it their all for their craft and took a chance! They learned a lesson that Christopher Robin taught to Winnie the Pooh, "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

We are almost done and as time marches toward the end, we should reflect on a journey that started months ago with many people synergistically working together, across the miles and without even knowing each other's part in the big picture. The synergy that started months ago in the gyms, homes, board rooms, and in cyberspace is coming to the emotional end. Many people had a hand in the big picture and when we see those young people step on the floor for the last time, let's reflect on the work of the many that connected us all to that one performer throwing her solo toss, catching it, and the crowd cheering for her accomplishments all while her smile speaks of year filled with passion.

I say let's welcome the exhaustion, because it's the exhaustion that connects us all to the passion we call pageantry.