Back “in the day” what changes would John Alexander have made in his life if he knew God was going to make an undeserved special project of him, and, “the Big Guy Upstairs” was not going to ask permission to take over John’s life?
John, the apparent “target” in God’s planning for His “John’s Jonah Journey,” was in hindsight the least likely, least available, least qualified, and certainly least willing, candidate to become, with his incredible wife Judith Ann Alexander (nee McDonald), the founder of DramaShare Christian Drama Resources ministry!
Now “to set the stage” on just how ridiculous this premise would, at the beginning, appear to all, (including John & Judy), it would have to be known that:
- John never had, nor would have, any training in theatrics, drama or creative arts
- John never wanted, and hoped never to have, any training in theatrics, drama or creative arts, but instead wanted tenure on secular work, bringing copious quantities of ego-gratification and income generation, heavy on the later.
- John never had any experience in theatrics, drama or creative arts, (save for a Grade 4 Christmas concert at the one-room Croft schoolhouse in the middle of a beautiful nowhere in Saskatchewan, Canada, when John, having totally forgotten his two lines with an expected 21 seconds run-time, grudgingly offered by his teacher, who doubled as his aunt, felt some pressure to make a token gesture of including him, launched out in an exposé on fried egg sandwiches) so . . . .
- Where were we?
- Oh yes, and of some importance perhaps, John’s very impressive journey through mainstream education came to a grinding halt after Grade 7 when his Pop encountered heart problems, leading to his death. Not a lot of doors swing open when a Grade 7 diploma is flashed, except the exit door of course.
- So John was, in no one’s eyes destined to be a playwright, and the whole world, including likely Willie Shakespeare, breathed a collective sigh of relief!
- But I digress . ..
- Suffice to say, the world appeared to have zero worry that the young Johnny Alexander’s name, and that of “drama” would ever appear in the same sentence, let alone blog, (when, and if, such a thing evolved, or in Christianese: was created) , but . . .had the world, (including Willie and everyone in the universe), known, unlikely there would be much worry, and perhaps even gnashing of teeth, (an apparent common phenomena back in the day, an unfortunate happening, particularly in America where, to this day, there appears to be no universal health care opportunities.)
- Again, apologies for the digression, should that in fact be a word . . .
- To recap, the headlines on the morning of February 29th, in the year of our Lord, 1940, (that, for the uninitiated and uninformed and uninterested translates, “but leap year coming once in four” thingie), in the, (at that time and so even unto today forsooth, unhappened), in the Wheatstone Chronicle, the one page bearer of all the news that was the news even if there was no news, “Batten down the hatches, me hearties, for unto you this day, in the city of Moose Jaw, some 75 miles to the north, was born to us, a dramatist supreme who shall save the people from the ravages of Brother Anderson’s “standard three point sermon guidelines” delivered in painful steps and boring. But lo, . . oooops, wrong missile.
And having reached almost 500 words, (I could but won’t), send you a screen shot of . . . oooops the count is now over 500 words . . the “no fly zone” of “Doncha never ever go over the magic number of 500 words on account’a there will be no one still awake and interested,” notwithstanding the fact that no one was that cranked from word 1.
So fine, youse guys gonna hafta go buy the book, when and if’n its ever published, whether full bore, self or vanity published, but, and let this be a warning unto you, unless a man be . . . ooops wrong missile again . . . <clears throat> . . . Warning is we’uns gonna restrict access to “John’s Jonah Journey” . . heck of”a book name doncha think, to a first, and last, publish quantity run of 4, for me and my closest friends . . .
Sorry digressed again it seems . . .
Point is, y’alls want more details gotta go get yerself’s a whatchamaycall hard copy thang. Well, when and if’n its ever published. Until then maybe you wanna hear some more, best maybe go ta my bud, Dougie Lucas’ webslight I b’leve they call ’em thangs. Name’a https://brigada.org is my guess. Maybe there ya wanna sign up fer Dougie’s newsletter maybe, maybe not, yer call seems like.
Bye y’alls!
