The Bonking Cows During Shakespeare...

Many people outside of life in Theatre, aside from being a dear audience member now and then, have very little awareness for those backstage who devote their lives relentlessly working very hard to make Theatre Magic actually happen.  And happen without anything ever going wrong on Opening Night.  Or on any other night.  

We hope...😂🎭

Throughout North America during the summer months many Theatres and Shakespeare organizations do three or more plays by Shakespeare in outdoor parks each year.  This is a way to introduce Theatre to many who may not get to have a Theatre experience otherwise. 

One summer a small Theatre I designed for scheduled three Shakespeare plays in a lovely park.  However due to a construction job the third and last play, "Romeo And Juliet" had to be changed to another park.  A park just a bit LESS lovely than the first...for the area we had to construct a set upon was surrounded very closely by a field with cows and another with horses.  We were wondering if this actually WAS a real park. 

Not long after I met Aiden's parents who adored me as much as I did them, they were quite keen on not only getting to see a professional production of "Romeo And Juliet," but to see the work their potental future daughter in-law did.  They were even proudly bragging about me to all their friends...inviting them all to come see this performance too.

Aiden and I did our utmost to try to dissuade them from choosing THAT particular production but they wouldn't hear of it!  They had their hearts set on seeing the one Shakespearian play they knew.  And to bring all their friends too, so we had to hope for the best.

Yet as you may have gathered by now in reading these entertaining Theatre Hilarity blogs of mine here, often events unfold in very unexpected ways far beyond our control.

Like on this particular evening we could see wind was becoming a concern.  Not good, not good.

For these outdoor productions my sets were built either on grass or a patch of dirt.  EXPOSED you might say.  So my intern and I constructed a sturdier set than usual which actually turned out to be a very good thing.  Now remember those winds.

Please also keep in mind we did not have stage left or 

stage right wings in the traditional sense because 

we were outdoors in the middle of nowhere you see.

Laura, our Costumer of course was there as was our Lighting Designer, James, and myself.

During Act I Laura's job was to assist "Juliet" in a quick dress change.

Only it became The Ripping event heard around the world.😱  Followed by a very loud expletive (which was NOT by the way, Adelaide who said it!😂).

For as our dear Laura began helping "Juliet" with her dress change, RRRRR-IPPPPPPE.  All of us "backstage" froze with horror as our eyes fell upon poor Laura and "Juliet."

So too were the eyes of The Audience, including Aiden, his parents, and everyone they ever knew who came with them.😳

You see it was Laura who delivered that loud word!  And it wasn't "Juliet's" dress coming off that failed.  Oh no, not that at all.  For after the loud expletive Laura cried out, "My pants split!"😱

And she had very good reason to be horrified, for on 

all days for the Costume Designer to have her pants split as wide as the Amazon River out in the middle of nowhere, she happened to be wearing underpants with large bright red lettering on the rear which said, "I'M NAUGHTY," which could very clearly be seen like a 

bright neon light.

Ohhh, this was not a good day for our dear Laura to have chosen THOSE very underpants to wear.😂

Being the loyal staff members they tried very hard to be at that moment, the male staff members totally lost it.

They were rolling in the grass laughing in hysterics.  

At this point the audience began laughing out of 

control too, but really had no clue other than The 

Huge RRRRR-IPPPPPPE heard around the world as 

to exactly what they were laughing about.🙃

Now remember we were out in the middle of nowhere here with very little means at our disposal to repair pants split wide open revealing the words, "I'm Naughty."  However, I just happened to bring along an item in case the stage needed a temporary fix.  Never ever underestimate the miracle this item is capable of for it literally saved Laura's butt.  You will be absolutely amazed by what Duct Tape can fix...😂👍

Following the RRRRR-IPPPPPPE heard around the 

world and our dear Laura's Naughtiness, we naively assumed there couldn't possibly be any more excitement for one night, but alas, this was not to be.

For one of the mares in the horse pasture decided to pee near the fence.  Now I have seen horses pee and shit a thousand times.  Aside from those moments I would suddenly find myself accidentally being the one getting peed or shit upon by one of my horses because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time, a horse peeing is really a non-event to me.  So I especially was not prepared for this event taking away the attention of the audience or our staff from Shakespeare that it did. 

But it did, you see.

Because when horses pee they can REALLY PEE!  We are talking Niagara Falls here folks!  I'm not kidding!😂

And for the hoomans quite transfixed by watching this event, not even Shakespeare himself coming back to life could have held their attention like the horse peeing did!🤣

Remember the cows?  During late spring into summer 

a farmer keeps his prize bull with the cows for the sake of making calves.  Well apparently no one happened to mention this very important fact to our Artistic Director when he was shown the park where we would be staging Romeo And Juliet.

Unfortunately the bull did not give us the consideration of holding off his love making until AFTER the play or at least confining his activities during Intermission.  Oh no, not THIS bull!😱

For you see just after Act II began when things are SUPPOSED to be getting really serious in "Romeo And Juliet," RIGHT BY THE FENCE CLOSEST TO THE AUDIENCE the bull mounted his love interest!🤣  

Then the friggin bull began MOOING.  LOUDLY MOOOOOING!  EVERYONE including the actors were now focusing their attention on the BOVINE romance scene happening before them!💥

BOVINE BONKING had totally derailed our Shakespeare production!🤣

For you see, most of the audience and our staff were not used to seeing these kinds of things unless you're Adelaide of course.😂

After the bonking the bull and his love interest for the moment, finally ambled off together.

We thought surely nothing else could happen.  

But it did.

And then...AND THEN...right at the climatic moment near the end of "Romeo And Juliet," the winds REALLY began picking up.  A chauffeur of an elderly couple he worked for waiting in the car suddenly came running over.  Said the weather forecaster indicated a funnel cloud had been sighted nearby and we should take cover!😱

However this situation was having no effect on the 

bull I must say, as he was now bonking another cow.  I had never realized their "recovery" turnaround time 

in-between bonking was THAT fast.😂 

Anyway we got the audience members and ourselves under the only place we could take cover under in the middle of nowhere which happened to be the stage set.  Thankfully the set I designed included a stage about 4' above the ground so we all crammed beneath it for an eternity.  Aiden's parents for some reason thought this was an ideal time to introduce me to all their friends.

Luckily nothing but high winds happened and the set my intern and I constructed held up quite well.  Aiden's parents and their friends were very pleased.  But they were all a bit confused though as to just how the bonking bull became included in OUR version of "Romeo And Juliet."🙄

Aiden explained it was because OUR version was a modern one they were VERY privileged to get to see first...😂

We decided to leave it at that.👏🎭😂🤣😂🎭👏

Where the most hilarious production of "Romeo And Juliet" in Theatre History happened.  You see, there just is no business like our beloved Show Business deep inside our souls.🤩🎭

And Then Those Hilarious Bloopers...

As I have shared, as soon as anyone hears I own and soar bareback with the wind upon horses, THE question I am asked is not what kind or colour but...BUT, "How DO you get ON your horse?!!" 

 

So when television stations were featuring Patches and I during the time of our famous Ride they wanted to film my getting on Patches because our fanbase were keen to know this along with a zillion others.  

When I addressed this very subject in my funny blog, "How A Little Person Gets On Her Horse," I touched on the fact horses cannot be depended upon to remain still for more than a few seconds.  So this is when hilarious things can happen during the getting on process.

First what I used most was my car hood.  All of my horses knew the process which involved them standing next to my car as I quickly climbed onto the hood then got onto their backs.  Twenty-four out of twenty-five times the process would go quite well.  And usually when that one time happened when it did NOT go quite so well there would never fail but be an audience on hand...dying in hysterics.🤣

Which is exactly what happened the day when these television stations were filming segments on how I got on Patches, got off Patches, and cared for Patches.  They had already done a segment filming how Patches came galloping to me when I called his name.  And that segment actually went quite well because once and awhile, Patches in his excitement to come to me could misjudge the stopping distance necessary at a full gallop and slide into me.🙃

Anyway, I lined Patches up next to my car then rushed to get onto the hood of the car before he moved.  Only he did just a bit.  No problem.  I knew I could still make the distance leaping through the air.  But the 

thing is you see, I needed to really propel myself to accomplish this amazing feat, having done it successfully many times.  

However, if one propels oneself TOO hard, one can go sailing high to the sky right OVER the horse all the way to the ground with a somewhat very dignified landing with aplomb.  Which is exactly what happened.  As the cameras were rolling.  With crews...laughing.  In hysterics, you see.🤣

Next the crews wanted to get a clip of Patches and 

I galloping towards them from the fields.  Patches and I were doing quite wonderfully, that is until he decided to suddenly stop way before we arrived at the place where we were SUPPOSED to make a grandiose stop.  I then promptly went flying over his head but very heroically managed to land on my feet, again showing off my considerable amazing aplomb ability.

THIS...was turning out to be one of THOSE days.🥴  

Next the crews wanted to film me caring for Patches, such as grooming him and cleaning out his hooves.

To clean the hooves of a horse one must balance their hoof in one's lap while squatting, then deftly clean and check each hoof.  Usually there very seldom ever is an instance where anything can go wrong during the process.  Only cameras were rolling this time.  For as I was squatting with his right REAR hoof in my lap, I suddenly noticed his tail raising up which can mean only ONE thing.  Patches was SHITTING.  I managed to dive out of the way JUST...in...time.  PLOP.🤣

Then it was time to film me grooming Patches.  Now what could POSSIBLY happen doing THIS, right?!!  

WRONG.

Patches absolutely loved whenever I groomed his back or scratched his back.  When I did it felt so good he would completely relax with closed eyes loving it.  However, on these very rare occasions Patches would REALLY relax.  And I mean RELAX here folks.  As in a certain organ of his anatomy dropping down.  THAT kind of relax.😱  

Well Patches happened to get THAT kind of relaxed right during filming.  

Ohhh, they REALLY began laughing then.  I mean they were just totally dying in hysterics.🤣  

Finally, they wanted me to get back on Patches again and film us galloping away across the huge expanse of fields.  Now with THIS segment everything went right.  Beautifully right as we galloped off without wings soaring away into the vast bright distance.😃

I asked the crews to give me their sworn promise to PLEASE never ever use those blooper parts of the filming in anything.  They very emphatically assured 

me they absolutely would not THINK of EVER doing such a thing.🙄 

Several months later for our fanbase a lovely thirty minute piece was done all about our very touching story again.  And within the piece just happened to be this hilarious bloopers segment with all the many bloopers Patches and I had managed to very successfully accumulate...🤣

Patches, The Foal About To Be Slaughtered...

I want to share how Patches, the little unwanted foal in dire need and I came together.  My previous horse went blind, but a lady looking for a companion for her blind horse in a safe facility was thrilled our mutual vet told her about Havilla, so I donated Havilla to her.  I then began looking for a foal to raise and have for its' lifetime.

The farm where I boarded my horses for years was a beautiful place owned by brothers who could be tough with their horses.  One day Paul called me to say he had found the perfect foal, a registered six month old Quarter horse colt he put in the box stall at the farm.  

Then he warned me, "The man threw in this three month runt of a foal for me to get rid of and it is in the stall too.  BE CAREFUL!  It's very dangerous!  It took four of us and a lot of beer to finally get him!"  

My heart immediately went out to the "dangerous runt."

I rushed to the farm and found the lovely fancy colt and the "dangerous runt" who had just been ripped away from his mama by four loud beer drinking men, with a heavy long rope tied around his neck looking very dejected.  As I slowly entered the stall the "runt" began to back up but I stepped on the rope.  He trembled.  I whispered I was only going to stroke his forehead so he could end the day by being touched GENTLY.  He relaxed.

From the barn phone I called Paul.  

"I'm taking the 'runt!'"  

He kindly replied, "What?!!  You're crazy!!!  He's dangerous I tell you!"

"I'm taking him anyway!  Besides, you will have no trouble selling the fancy colt and I will save you the trouble of taking the "runt" to slaughter."

"I still think you're making a huge mistake you'll regret!" 

"I'm taking him anyway.  How much?"

The next day I took sweet feed, a small halter, and grooming stuff with me.  The "runt" began to back up then stopped...without trembling.  While he ate I gently groomed him with no sign of any fear or "danger" at all.

Patches was a palomino pony with white patches, hence the name I immediately gave him so he would not become known as "the runt."

Day three he nickered when he saw me.

I needed to get him out of the very dirty, dusty stall.  Told Paul I was turning him out.  

"What?!!  You're crazy!  You'll never be able to catch him again!"

"Don't worry we've got this."

I turned him out.  Day four I arrived and found Patches on a hill.  I called him.  He stared intently.  When I went up to Patches he made no attempt to run.

On day five when I called him, Patches neighed and came galloping TO me!  The "dangerous runt" was safe, loved, and mine.  We became very VERY close sharing a wonderful twenty-nine years together.  They know when they are in danger and they know when they are safe.  And love grew Patches into a much larger pony than was expected too.🐎💕🐎

When Patches was a year and a half old I put lead shanks on each side of his halter one day.  Got on him and simply began riding him.  THAT was all it took!

One day Paul happened to come along and see me riding Patches.  He stammered, "You're...you're RIDING him!  How did you...I...I can't believe this!"

"Yep!  This is the 'dangerous runt' bound for slaughter. Still think I'm crazy?!!"🐎😃🐎

A sleepy Patches at four months old.  During the night either a horse, brambles, or some old barbed wire did a number on him.  Immediately I treated his wounds with an antibacterial ointment for horses from my equine first aid kit I always had with me.  Then used a liquid ointment to help protect him from the flies.  In the process of all this my darling one fell asleep!😃💕💫

The Beginning...

  

Dr. Steven Kopits (1936-2002)

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.    -Lao Tzu

The journey of a thousand miles actually begins with having the courage TO take that first single step.

There are approximately 200 types of dwarfism with Achondroplasia being the most common.  Almost all obviously affect the bone structure, cartilage, and connective tissues.

Eighty percent of us come from families with no history of dwarfism whatsoever, as in my case.

However the jury is still out on exactly which type 

of dwarfism I have, though I certainly have some Achondroplasia characteristics.  In fact how I met the world renown Dr. Kopits was because I had an appointment to see his colleague, the dear geneticist Dr. McKusick, at Johns-Hopkins.  

Though I recovered from the near death bleed out and paralysis during my most recent spine surgery at that time, I was having severe problems with plummeting blood counts.  My doctors were hoping if we could nail down which type of dwarfism I have we could possibly solve the blood count issues.  Also learn if other Little People had the same problem.  

The only thing was though, I had just been in the hospital for months while learning to walk again; missed work all that time and gone through what savings I had.  I didn't even know yet how I was going 

to GET to Baltimore and stay for one day and two nights.  

Yet with a courageous leap of faith I took that single step anyway and made the arrangements needed.  

The next day I found a envelope someone put under 

my door.  An dear anonymous donor provided the 

airline ticket and the money to cover the room near Johns-Hopkins.

Dr. Kopits was such an extraordinary doctor for Little People he had a waiting list of one to two years.  When I scheduled my appointment for Dr. McKusick, I learned it just happened to be a day Dr. Kopits was at Johns-Hopkins seeing patients.  I was hopeful to simply just meet him as I heard so much about him.

I flew to Baltimore and saw Dr. McKusick early the next morning.  As soon as Dr. McKusick saw me he became VERY excited.  He immediately noticed my hands, feet, and longish extremities.  Remember, I hadn't met any other Little People yet to know I was "unique" in this way.  Besides being on the "tall" side of dwarfism he pointed out to me how my hands and feet are average size.  I can wear regular adult shoes.  Many Little People cannot.  Sadly many Little People also have such malformed hands and extremities, their lives are far more challenging than mine and my heart aches for them.  

Dr. McKusick flipped out when he learned I play the piano, am a artist, and majored in Theatre Scene Design.  And then...AND THEN...when he learned I own and ride horses his jaw dropped.  At that point he suddenly got up, grabbed my hand and literally began dragging me (I had to go with my hand) for all his colleagues to see.  And you guessed it.  One of those just happened to be Dr. Kopits.

"Steven!  Look!  Look at her hands!  And her feet!"  

Dr. McKusick said.  "She plays the piano and she's an artist!  And...AND SHE EVEN OWNS AND GALLOPS ON HORSES BAREBACK!"

Before Dr. McKusick dragged me on I managed to blurt

out to Dr. Kopits with laughter, "I had hoped to...oops!  Gotta go!  So happy to get to meet youuu!"

Dear sweet Dr. McKusick...when he completed his impromptu show and tell had me sit down for a moment in the busy corridor while he went to make some phone calls about my "uniqueness."  As he walked away Dr. Kopits rushed over to speak with him.

Afterwards Dr. Kopits came to ME asking if he could take me on as a patient, and would I be willing to wait 

to see him after he finished with all his other patients.  WOW...like I had anywhere ELSE to go?!!  "Yes!"

We had this conversation around 9:15 A.M.  I was his last patient and finally saw him around 7:30 P.M.  One of the first questions he asked was, "Please tell me, HOW do you get ON your horse?!!"

He had all my records and could not believe I was able to walk again following the bleed out and hematoma paralysis of my recent spine surgery.  With his nurse 

he spent over an hour with me.  We also discussed the new spine pain I was experiencing, which turned out to be the two severe spinal cord inflammation diseases.

Dr. Kopits asked if I could remain in Baltimore for at least four weeks.  Financially I told him there was no way I possibly could.  He said, "Wait a moment," and made a call.

Where Dr. Kopits was staffed at the hospital in Towson, Maryland, the hospital had a Ronald McDonald kind of house on the property just for the patients and families of Dr. Kopits.  He secured a room for me.

Since neither Dr. Kopits, his nurse, or myself had eaten all day he wanted to take us out to eat.  Hours earlier I wasn't even his patient...hadn't even met him before and with his nurse I had been asked to join him for dinner!  All because I took a step of courage.

The specially designed House I stayed in had low sinks, toilets, bathtubs, etc. just for a Little Person 3' tall.  It was amazing.  I had to actually get on my knees when at the sink!  For the first time in my entire life I felt what it was like to be "tall."

My first Saturday in Baltimore Dr. Kopits unexpectedly came by.  Said he realized I would need things in the weeks ahead then took me to a grocery store and bought what I needed!  Afterwards when he told me he hadn't ever seen The Preakness horse race which was about to start, I then kindly responded, "NO WAY!  What planet have you been living on, Dr. Kopits?!!"

So for the first time in his life in his own city, Dr. Kopits 

sat down and watched The Preakness with his horse crazy patient.  However my efforts to forever convert the man to horses never took off though, but I really did give it my all through the years.🤣

During those four weeks I was seen by many doctors including a renown hematologist, neurosurgeon, and underwent many tests.  

One in particular not only revealed the inflammation diseases but the severity of them.  They were all quite astounded by just how severe things were.  Said they had never seen anything as terrible.  Yet were further astounded by the ways I continued to press on grabbing life with my faith, enthusiasm, positivity, my friends, and my horses.

My blood counts were way out of control necessitating more transfusions while I was there.  This is when Dr. Kopits asked if I could move to Maryland.  There was no doubt my physical future would be a very daunting one at the very least and it grieved him terribly.

He was a dear man...an incredible man, and a very gifted orthopaedic surgeon who deeply cared about all his patients and was beloved by all.  Sadly in 2002, after a courageous fight, Dr. Kopits succumbed to a brain tumor. 

If I did not have the courage to take that step of a thousand miles to make it to Baltimore I never would have known many things about my medical journey.  Most of all I never would have known such an amazing doctor...and a dear friend. 

Embrace courage my dear ones, to take that single step

for you just never know what wonders can unfold in your journey whenever you do.🐎💫

                                    Dr. Kopits, 2001 

READERS...

My Dear Twitter & Blogger Readers,

On 30 January 2020 I took a HUGE plunge by at last fulfilling a promise to MANY through the decades of my journey.  I had been asked a thousand times to please, PLEASE put into writing what everyone kept begging me to tell:  the hilarious, inspiring, at times heart shattering, challenging, informative, creative, often very public stories of my amazing life filled with quite a cast of two footed and four footed characters.  

It all began when at age twenty-three, I was pushed into speaking to large groups by a friend needing me to drive her to HER first speaking engagement who had arranged to have ME speak following her because she said I was more entertaining!

Well, it turned out I had a way of both inspiring people and making them laugh so hard they had tears pouring down their faces.  The next thing I knew I became in demand as a Speaker for several years.

However, being a Theatre Scene Designer is where my heart was and where I remained.  Which is good because it too, provided many more hilarious stories to share.

Anyway, soon 30,000 people from 38 countries will have shared this Blogging Journey with me.  Each of you will never know how deeply grateful I am for you because YOU are why I have been able to fulfill many promises to share my life this way and hopefully make a bright difference.  

Or fall over laughing?🤣

I am posting today my first four stories that began our here journey together.

Words cannot express my gratitude, but "thank you," will somehow have to do.🥰💫🐎

Adelaide 

THE RIDE...

W. C. Fields once said, "This old world is a very tough place and you're darn lucky if you can get out of it alive."  And this world IS a very tough place indeed.  We ALL have tough challenges.  Tough challenges need tough optimism.  Often it is easier said than done.  Yet I always tend to take a deep breath and just PLUNGE forth.  Sometimes I've PLUNGED BACKWARDS though, but sometimes, the plunge forth is sweet, oh so very amazingly sweet.

My last horse Patches was a foal in dire need of being rescued when he came into my life.  How he came into my life is quite a story too, for a later blog.  In the late 1980's following spine surgery I had to learn to walk again for the second time, but was darn grateful I could.  Still there were severe complications, so I traveled to Johns-Hopkins to see the world renown Dr. Kopits, who devoted his career to Little People.  That I got to see him at all was the result of a plunge I made.  Due to the severity of my condition he asked if I could move to Baltimore.  "Why yes, of course!  I will go to my money tree!  No problem!"  I reminded him I came with a horse and cat package.😏  Financially there was just no way.  Impossible.

After I returned to Kentucky I had this idea but shoved it away.  Everything could go wrong.  Yet the idea persisted.  I would ride Patches 10 miles, involve the media, and seek pledges for each mile.  If I plunged BACK trying all this the media would be right there to show it, so I HAD to shove the crazy idea aside.

Then I was given a nudge.  More like a huge SHOVE.  I was moving Patches from one farm to one closer to my home.  One day, leaving the farm I still had him at, it suddenly came to me out of nowhere to clock the miles from one farm to the other.  I did.  

The distance...was...EXACTLY...10...MILES!

I took a deep breath and PLUNGED forth.

And what a plunging forth of faith it was!  It HAD to be.  

I contacted both the printed and television media.  "You're doing WHAT?!!"😓  

Since the first mile of The Ride involved riding down a 4 lane highway, I had to ask if police could assist.  "You're doing WHAT?!!"😓

I only asked for and received promise of a few pledges prior to The Ride because everything depended upon actually DOING The Ride with the help of media.

Then the day came.  Everybody showed up.  Patches was only 2 years old when I did this, the deep bond we shared enabling us to embark on this amazing little journey at all escorted by police and a media entourage as we began.  Aside from the traffic noise and two bridges...the one I thought Patches wouldn't have a problem with he did at first, and the one I thought would be a problem, wasn't.  Other than that we completed it in 3 hours!  

The newspaper and television pieces hit the next day.  And then...AND THEN our journey REALLY took off!  People were SO touched and inspired they couldn't get enough of us.  No one could remember my name but they sure remembered "Patches!"  I quickly became known as "the Patches lady!"  With a business prior to The Ride, in the event donations did actually come in 

we set up a trust fund, and the donations began pouring in.   

Not all was monetary.  Since I needed transportation to get Patches to Baltimore, one of the largest national horse transportation firms donated their services.  Mechanics overhauled my car so I could get there too.  A vet donated his fee to vet Patches with the paperwork needed to cross state lines.  It went on and on.

Because of the keen interest in our amazing story the media kept coming to the farm to get more coverage of Patches and I, like the way he would come running to me when he heard me call him.  The news pieces were lovely.

Yet it didn't stop in Kentucky.  The Govenor of Maryland at that time learned about us and welcomed Patches and I to Maryland!   In all, The Ride received just over $11,000.00 in money and donations.  We were on our way.

All because I took a HUGE crazy leap of faith and plunged forth.  And it all went FORTH...not BACK!😊

        Newspaper photo a few days after The Ride

A Bright Encounter, I...

Today and the next two days are touching pieces about bright encounters I hope may make your wonderful world seem brighter.  For no matter what ugly meanness I experience out there, I find far brighter encounters because I live knowing they are there.  So I find them.  Or they, find me...

Often at the end of a performance, especially on Opening Nights when the actors are getting their much deserved standing ovations, the Scene Designer and Lighting Designer are asked to come out on stage to be honoured in the ovations.  I was always "Adelaide, our Scene Designer," and not "Adelaide, our Little Person."  So on stage before a packed House getting a standing ovation was always a special moment in more ways than one.

One winter after a huge Opening Night performance at a theatre in Chicago where I was on loan, there had been a standing ovation for a certain Scene Designer and her work.  

A few weeks later I had just entered a hospital elevator heading for yet another round of plasma and platelets.  Suddenly a man dressed very nicely in a business suit rushed on.  It was just the two of us.

Well it so happened he was going to the Hematology Department too.  Never at a loss for plunging in to try putting people at ease when they suddenly find themselves in an elevator with a Little Person dressed like a hippie, I asked, "So are you also here to have replaced what some vampire took out?"

At that he burst out laughing.  "Yes, I am actually!  I had cancer and the chemo caused chronic anemia.  Uh, if you don't mind my asking my wife and I were at the theatre a few weeks ago for the huge Opening Night production.  Are you the Scene Designer we saw?"

"KA-CHING!  That's me!  So what gave me away?  My hippie style?!!"😂

Now he really laughed.

"For somebody heading to the same place I am you really have a cheerful way about you."

"Well, the alternative is having a bad attitude and that just isn't me.  Negativity sucks.  Besides, who wants to be around anyone who's no fun to be around?"

At that the door suddenly opened and we were on the Hematology Ward.  I assumed we would not see each other again and warmly wished him well.

One side of the Hematology Ward faced Lake Michigan which I loved if a lounge chair was available.  After checking in the nurse took me straight to a lounge chair facing Lake Michigan...next to...my new friend who happened to be a CEO on the Hospital Board!

"I hope you don't mind but I so enjoyed speaking with you I took the liberty to request having you seated next to me!"

"Well not at all!  I have never had the pleasure yet of knowing anyone higher up the chain in hospitals than my doctors!"

"By the way, call me David."

"My name is..."

"Adelaide!  I remember from the theatre.  Adelaide, I know you probably have many challenges yet you're a Scene Designer, you have a horse..."

"Wait a minute!  How do you know I have a horse?!!"

"Uh...I'm on the Theatre Board too."

"Holy shit!  You get around!"

"How do you get ON your horse?!!"🤣

"By way of leaping from my car hood and hoping I land on their backs which I manage to do most of the time but sometimes I go flying right over them and have to repeat the whole process."

David was laughing so hard he had tears running down his cheeks.

"I can't recall when I have laughed so hard and I never dreamed it would be HERE of all places!"

"I have a tendency of making this happen to people."😂

"Okay, now HOW do you have such a good attitude about life with all your challenges?  And why Theatre Scene Design?  And HORSES?!!  I need some of what you have because I really have been overwhelmed by my own challenges which are little compared to yours."

So I gave David a crash course in Adelaide 101 such as gratitude attitude, those "and yets," the even thoughs, not allowing others have the power to make me FEEL little, to embrace courage, an indomitable spirit, to have boldness, humour, fun, walking TALL, plunging forth and not back if possible, serendipity, and aplomb...LOTS of aplomb.

All at once we both noticed it at the same time...the unusual quietness on the ward.

You see the transfusion area usually has a T.V. blaring, chattering nurses and patients but EVERYONE was listening intently to OUR conversation.

This time David said the two words which meant I had already corrupted him... 

"Holy shit, Adelaide!  Look at the impact you're having on everyone!"

And then it happened.  

Patients and staff suddenly began clapping.  There were a lot of wet eyes but there were bright warm smiles with them.

After we were done David insisted on taking me "home" in his chauffeur driven limousine to the lovely old place that belonged to the theatre where I was staying.

From then on every two weeks he picked me up, we transfused together laughing and talking, then I was taken home afterwards.  David was insistent I meet his dear wife Denise and I became a frequent guest in their huge home.

I wish I could tell you we remained friends for many years but sadly David was diagnosed with leukemia as a result of the chemo soon after we met and died following a very courageous fight.

A few weeks after the funeral Denise asked if I could come by.  We were seated in a room overlooking Lake Michigan below.

"Adelaide, David and I both have known so many rich powerful people but no one outside of family and close friends had ever captured our hearts the way you came into our lives and did.  I cannot begin to tell you how much you inspired and brought joy into our lives the way you have.  Especially during these recent terrible months."

In her hands was a sealed envelope containing a letter from David.

"Not long before he died David wrote you this letter and asked that I give it to you."

She handed it to me.  I still have the letter...a very treasured touching letter.

David strongly believed I came into his life when I did for some very special reasons that Someone beyond the stars and in the love within our hearts had orchestrated by bringing us together.  David believed this because he said through me he found what he needed to fight the most daunting challenge of his life.

In the letter David expressed I had opened his eyes to my gratitude attitude just in time so he could show his family not only how much he appreciated them, but how deeply he loved them.  This gave his family a gift they needed most, because you see this enabled them to rediscover each other and all the treasured happy moments of their family again.

It was a powerful letter.

One day I had shared with David a song I have held dearly for decades, "What A Wonderful World," sung by Louis Armstrong.  The composers wrote the song with Mr. Armstrong in mind to sing it, and oh did he ever.

I shared it with David because no matter how tough or how shattering my life can be I still believe in the wonder of this world and the precious gift of friends.  And horses.  

I always will.

I see trees so green, red roses too

I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself what a wonderful world. 

I see skies so blue and clouds so white 

The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night  

And I think to myself what a wonderful world  

The colours of the rainbow so pretty in the sky  

Are also on the faces of people going by  

I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do?  They're really saying I love you 

I hear babies crying.  I watch them grow 

They'll learn much more than I'll ever know  

And I think to myself what a wonderful world 

Yes, I think to myself what a wonderful world. 

Lyrics by Bob Thiele, Composed by George David Weiss