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Gemma’s Gem of the Week: What’s Next?

Published

2 years ago

October 15, 2021

“You are not broken; you are just responding quite logically to a broken world. It’s not your fault – but it is your responsibility to heal, because you deserve to have joy and freedom in this one wild and precious life you were given – in this particular fucked up world you’ve got to live in.” – Glennon Doyle, We Can Do Hard Things Podcast Ep. 30

A common theme I’ve noticed amongst my loved ones, 20-somethings, and students, is the mentality of feeling guilty for not knowing “what’s next.” Being forced to a halt for over a year and a half granted many of us an abundance of uncomfortable time with ourselves that we haven’t been used to.

Throughout this incredibly uncomfortable, intense period that is the pandemic, I can I say I’ve felt tremendous guilt around the struggle of diving right back into life again. Some days, I just want to wake up, make sure I eat, drink water, and take care of myself – and let that be enough. And some days, that alone can take up more energy than expected.

It’s hard to feel like existing solely as a functioning human being is enough when there is so much emphasis on “the grind,” and “hustle culture.” We’re so used to defining ourselves by our jobs, our careers, work ethics, etc, that it can feel difficult to find that balance between work and life. Now, this isn’t to say that our jobs and careers aren’t important; we need to provide for ourselves and our basic needs, and if there’s passion behind our careers, this can contribute greatly to the quality of our lives. The issue arises when there is a severe lack of balance between work and life.

Earlier this year, Simone Biles announced that she needed to take time to herself in order to properly care for her mental health:

“At the end of the day, we’re not just athletes or entertainment. We’re human too and we have emotions and feelings and things that we’re working through behind the scenes that we don’t tell you guys about. And so, I just think it’s something that people should be more aware of.”

Biles opened various gateways of discussion for mental health by choosing to prioritize her own. Despite the high levels of criticism, she knew the truth in her decision, and sparked a conversation that many of us needed to hear.

Though I wish I could give you the answers on how to abandon those daunting feelings surrounding hustle culture and the “what’s next” complex, I’m still currently figuring it out myself – and I think we all are. What I can tell you is that you are not wasting your 20’s if you’re taking more time to yourself. You are not doing anything wrong if you took a day (or many) to solely exist as a human. You are not lazy for not overworking yourself. And you are most certainly not a failure for not knowing “what’s next.” To be honest, I don’t think we’re supposed to know. I think we’re responsible for what we have control over right now; taking care of ourselves, listening to our needs, maintaining healthy friendships/connections, and going from there when we’re ready.

Related Topics:LGBTQAI Mental health New Pandemic

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Gemma Farquhar

Gemma Farquhar is the writer of "Gemma's Gem of the Week" and author of "The Shape of Something New." She is passionate about the future of storytelling and welcomes all ages to her column.

Columns

My View: Who Knew Broadway and 42nd Street Ran All The Way to Boca/Delray…The Wick Theatre

Published

1 week ago

November 19, 2023

Stephen Sorokoff

Who knew 42nd Street and Broadway ran all the way down to Boca/Delray and end at The Wick Theatre and Museum Club! In an event yesterday afternoon that rivaled any Broadway Opening Night Party, Marilynn & Kimberly Wick celebrated the opening of The Wick’s 2023/2024 season with a spectacular immersive exhibition of “Dancing Feet” The Experience, 42nd Street. They also had in attendance none other than the star of the original Tony Award Winning Broadway show (42nd Street) Lee Roy Reams on the Museum Club’s Stage to add commentary, sing, and have a fun filled talk back with the audience. Lee Roy, who starred as Billy Lawlor in the 1980 production, shared many anecdotes about the musical during the video presentation, including insights about renowned choreographer Gower Champion and his untimely death on the day of the show’s Broadway opening. The legendary show went on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical and Best Choreography. While Reams continued his illustrious career in musical theatre, starring in numerous Broadway shows including The Producers and La Cage Aux Folles, and at The Wick, he created a sensation with his role as Dolly Levi in Hello, Dolly!

“The Wick is breaking new ground in both entertainment and technology by creating these immersive experiences that both entertain and educate audiences about the history of Broadway,” said Kimberly Wick, curator. “As the owners of the largest Broadway costume collection in the nation, we are thrilled to add this innovation as another way to preserve the incredible artistry of our past for generations to come.”

Last year, The Wick Costume Museum underwent a dramatic high-tech transformation, resulting in a stunning new venue, rechristened The Museum Club at The Wick. The completely renovated space thrilled guests with 360-degree immersive video experiences, historic costume displays, dining, and entertainment.

LEE ROY REAMS

LEE ROY REAMS & MARILYNN WICK

MARILYNN WICK & KIMBERLY WICK

LEE ROY REAMS

KIMBERLY WICK

DANCING FEET

LEE ROY REAMS

MICHAEL URSUA & LEE ROY REAMS

THE MUSEUM CLUB

JOHN McDANIEL, EDA SOROKOFF, LEE ROY REAMS

THE MUSEUM CLUB

EDA SOROKOFF & MARILYNN WICK

COMING ATTRACTIONS

COMING ATTRACTINS

Columns

My View: No Pause In The Laughter At Menopause The Musical 2

Published

2 weeks ago

November 13, 2023

Stephen Sorokoff

The hysterical sequel to the smash-hit Menopause The Musical is finally here and it’s National Tour landed at the Aventura Cultural Center in Florida this week. America, get ready to cheer and laugh on a cruise through “The Change” with your beloved ladies 5 years after their chance encounter in a department store. They have nothing in common but memory loss, hot flashes, night sweats, not enough sex, too much sex and more! This hilarious musical parody set to classic tunes from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, will have you dancing in the aisles as the audience did at the performance we attended ( and has been doing since the original Menopause The Musical opened 20 years ago). If you think #1 was #1 wait till you see # 2.

Aventura Cultural Center

CURTAIN CALL

AVENTURA CULTURAL CENTER

STEPHEN SOROKOFF, SETH GREENLEAF, EDA SOROKOFF, KEN GREENBLATT, SANDI GREENBLATT

SETH GREENLEAF GFOUR PRODUCTIONS

KEN GREENBLATT, & JOSH FRIEDMAN, VP alumni & admissions UNIV OF MIAMI

COMMING ATTRACTION

Columns

My View: Maestro Steven Reineke Rehearses The New York Pops for Tonight’s Concert

Published

1 month ago

October 27, 2023

Stephen Sorokoff

The New York Pops under the baton of Maestro Steven Reineke kicks off the 2023-2024 season at Carnegie Hall tonight. The concert celebrates 21st Century Broadway. We were there as guest artists Haley Kilgore, Derek Klena, Javier Munoz and Ali Stroker rehearsed with the orchestra.

Check out the photos

Steven Reineke, music director, conductor The New York Pops

HAILEY KILGORE

HAILEY KILGORE & STEVEN REINEKE

JAVIER MUNOZ

DEREK KLENA

ALI STROKER

ALI STROKER & DEREK KLENA

CARNEGIE HALL

Cabaret

My View: The Rolls Royce Of Music At Cafe Carlyle…. John Pizzarelli & Jessica Molaskey

Published

1 month ago

October 26, 2023

Stephen Sorokoff

Henry Royce and Charles Rolls joined forces to create something that became an everlasting expression of excellence, and that’s exactly what John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey create. Their musical virtuosity, artistry, creativity, and personalities took last night’s Cafe Carlyle audience ( which included Maestro Steven Reineke of the New York Pops) on a musical journey that was smooth, elegant, and exciting. It’s their 17th year at Cafe Carlyle and here are some of my photos of a great evening. What a special birthday present for me in my __ year.

JOHN PIZZARELLI & JESSICA MOLASKEY

JOHN PIZZARELLI

JOHN PIZZARELLI & JESSICA MOLASKEY

JOHN PIZZARELLI

CAFE CARLYLE

MARY PIZZARELLI, ERIC GABBARD, STEVEN REINEKE, EDA SOROKOFF

ERIC GABBARD & STEVEN REINEKE

JESSICA MOLASKEY & EDA SOROKOFF

JOHN PIZZARELLI & EDA SOROKOFF

STEPHEN SOROKOFF

Cabaret

My View: Jamie deRoy….You’ve Got A Friend (s)

Published

1 month ago

October 24, 2023

Stephen Sorokoff

Jamie can sing you a song, recount a show biz story, get you tickets to one of her Broadway shows, meet you at the movies, remember a cast members name you can’t recall, or attend a memorial with you……and if you’re a really good friend you might even get a photo with her!

Birdland and Jim Caruso rolled out the Red Carpet as Jamie deRoy and friends descended at the legendary club last night. It was another great variety show packed with Jamie’s super talented famous friends on stage as well as in the audience.

Appearing in this segment of Jamie deRoy & friends were Tony Danza, Nikki M. James, Daisy Jopling, Nicolas King & Seth Sikes, and Steven Scott. Barry Kleinbort directed with musical direction by Ron Abel, Ray Marchica, drums Ritt Henn, bass.