Money, Theater, Cancer and the Radiation Vacation or What To Do if You're a Millionaire

I've been freaking out about money this week. 


I have an immense attorney bill. Apparently, they forgot my  DIRECTIVE of a few months ago.


I have other big bills to pay this month, too. And I'm taking my mom on a "radiation vacation." We're going to stay at a hotel in Baltimore while she gets treatment for the new spot on her lung. I'm going to see if some of THE PLACES she used to work are still in business. I want to hear every story of hers that she feels like telling. We're going to go to the Inner Harbor and look at the boats. Have a drink while we stare out at the water. Stroll in her old neighborhood. Whatever she wants.


I'm doing it, damn it. I'll get caught up. There's a person I CAN'T WRITE ABOUT, and this quote was frequently uttered by that person because way back when I was doing set-dressing for a play by Thorton Wilder called The Matchmaker. This is a line of dialogue from the play:


The difference between a little money and no money at all is enormous...and the difference between a little money and an enormous amount of money is very slight.


Which is exactly what I thought when I took myself out to a play on Sunday afternoon. I had to go, I really did, and I was feeling crappy about the splurge. But when I got there, there was a sign on the door---something about, "economic stimulus," and all the tickets where reduced to $5.00. That's right.  THIS THEATER COMPANY does this $5.00 thing once per run--so you can't see this show for five bucks, but you could see a future one. But even if you paid full price for Heavier Than...it would be worth it.  And so next month when I have extra money again, I'll have to make it up to them because I really didn't expect to get a theater ticket for five bucks. I mean.... see quote above. 


So, dear millionaires, now that you can be pretty certain your taxes won't be raised, how about donating some money to the arts? Or cancer research? Or something.