Happy New Year!

I know that I was going to discuss the book “The Chimes” by Charles Dickens, there has been some unexpected events the last few days and I wanted to give the story some justice. Instead I found a little play that I wrote several years ago while while taking a Creative Writing class. I was not sure if it would stand the test of time, but after reading it I found that it still relevant today. It also has a little lesson during this time of year when we are all trying to make better choices for the upcoming year.

Today is the last day of Yule! I hope you a very blessed and happy new year!

#LIVINGYOUR BEST LIFE -A Play by JLC Nelson

Characters
KATE, Woman in her late 30’s or early 40’s
Mark, Her husband is his late 30’s or early 40’s
OTHER KATE, Woman in her late 30’s or early 40’s that looks similar to Kate
KENSY, Teenage girl
COREY, Teenage boy
Setting
Inside the Anderson home. The only rooms shown onstage are the bedroom and dining room. The present.
KATE is lying in bed, under her covers, looking at her smart phone. OTHER KATE is sitting on the edge of the bed, invisible to KATE. MARK, KENSY and COREY are all sitting at the edge of the stage, also seemingly invisible to KATE. On the other side of the stage is a dining table with four chairs. All of the characters wear black.
KATE
Okay, time to go to bed. Hmmm. Oh look I got another “like” on my Black Friday post. Who else liked it? That’s 29 “likes” on that silly post about the bargains I got today. Oh. This looks like an interesting article…”Are you living your best life?—hmmm.”
(Kate falls asleep. A few seconds later, OTHER KATE walks over to KATE and shakes her awake.)
OTHER KATE
Wake up!
KATE
What, huh? Who are you? I must be dreaming!
OTHER KATE
You are. Let me introduce myself, I am Kathryn.
KATE
That’s my name.
OTHER KATE
That’s right. I am you. Well, I am a different version of you, anyway.
KATE
Okay, for the sake of an interesting dream that I can share later, I will play along; it’s nice to meet you Kate!
OTHER KATE
You as well, although I hope this does not turn into a nightmare for you.
KATE
Ahh, this always happens to me! I dream about whatever the last thing that I read or watched on TV, I was reading an article from Facebook, something about, that’s it! “Are you living your best life?” Are you here to tell me that I’m not living my best life Kate?
OTHER KATE
No, I will not tell you anything. I would like to show you, let’s take a journey into the past….
KATE
Wait? What is this? Are you my Ghost of Christmas Past? Like in “A Christmas Carol”? Do I have a Ghost of Christmas Present and the Future one too?
OTHER KATE
Well, not exactly.
KATE
You have got to be kidding me! Am I here to learn a life lesson? I am not a Scrooge! I am not an old, cheap spiteful man who hates Christmas and everyone around me. I love Christmas; I love my family and friends! I think I have a great life—here!
(KATE grabs her phone and shows it to OTHER KATE.)
KATE
Look at my Facebook posts, does that look like someone who needs a life lesson? I am living my best life, there!
OTHER KATE
The question is not: Are you living your best life, Kate. The question is, are you living? Maybe we should start in the present.
(Light shines to dinner table. MARK, KENSY and COREY are now sitting at the dinner table. Mark is on his phone engrossed in work. KENSY is on her phone, taking selfies. Corey is on his laptop. OTHER KATE walks in with a plate and sets in on the table. KATE watches from a few feet away, invisible to the dinner party.)
OTHER KATE
Happy Thanksgiving Leftovers Day!
(The other 3 grumble under their breath.)
OTHER KATE
So, how was your day Kensy? Did you venture out of your room? I was hoping that you would go shopping with me today.
KENSY
It was fine.
OTHER KATE
Well, did you make it out of your room?
KENSY
No, ugh. Just leave me alone.
OTHER KATE
What about you, Corey? How was your day? You’ve been glued to that game an awfully lot lately.
COREY
It was good. I’ve gotta go.
(Corey grabs his plate of food and laptop and heads off stage, Kinsey follows him.)
OTHER KATE
Wow. Do I know how to clear a room or what?
MARK
Relax, they’re teenagers, all teenagers can’t stand their parents.
OTHER KATE
I know we’ve talked about this. I’m just a little sad, shopping together, that used to be our thing, Kensy and I. Now she doesn’t want anything to do with me. And it’s not just that. She has changed. She used to be so sociable. She was always outside playing with her friends. She was active too. Remember how she wanted to be in everything, ballet, soccer, volleyball! Now I can’t talk her into anything. She just stays in her room, with her phone.
MARK
Hmmm, who does that remind you of?
OTHER KATE
Hey, that’s downtime for me, I work hard all day!
MARK
Okay. (Rolls his eyes.)
OTHER KATE
It’s her grades too, I saw her last progress report, and they’re slipping. And Corey! Ever since he dropped out of Community College all he does is play on his stupid computer games! Is it me, or does it look like he’s gained another 5 pounds! All he does is eat and play games!
MARK
Well, if you cooked healthier…
OTHER KATE
Oh, so it’s my fault now! It’s not like I work all day to come and slave all night! Now I need to work extra hard to make “healthy” meals?
MARK
Why not? You’re always posting “healthy” recipes all day. (Laughs) I would think that you would be an expert at it! In fact, you make it sound like we are the number one healthiest family on Facebook! Gotta love that!
OTHER KATE
Okay, okay. Let’s drop the subject. How was your day? I know it sucks that you had to work the day after Thanksgiving.
MARK
Yes, it does kind of suck. But that’s the business I’m in. I just wish they would leave me alone when I get home. Speaking of which, I have a conference call that I need to make in the study.
(Mark leaves. He leaves his phone on the table. Kate looks at the phone. She looks around and then grabs his phone and starts skimming through it.)
OTHER KATE
“She’s driving me crazy” who is this text to? No name attached to the number. Hmmm.
KATE:
(Light shines back to KATE) Okay, this happened tonight. I see what you’re doing. From the outside, it looks bad. I am worried about my family. No my family is not perfect. Kensy, well she is a full on teenager, with her hormones and boys and I don’t know what to do with her sometimes. She will not talk to me. And Corey, it’s like he is a Zombie in his room all day. I know I need to be tougher on him, but I just cannot bring myself to give him an ultimatum. And I don’t know what that text message was about that I found on my husband’s phone. All he does is work, and when he is not at work, he is working here. He gives me a hard time for being on social media, but he is just as bad, always glued to his work phone. I know we aren’t perfect, but we are happy. I mean, look! (she grabs her phone from her bed) Look at these pictures! Here are some pictures that prove we love each other! This is Thanksgiving, don’t we look happy? And these, these are from a few weeks ago when we all went hiking.
OTHER KATE
If I remember, you celebrated Thanksgiving with Mark’s family. You barely talked to Mark the entire time. Your kids spent the day with their cousins in the other room. That hiking trip was more or less a short road trip. You spend the entire time online, on your phone. You all did! The only time you really talked to each other was when you got out to take those pictures along the road.
KATE
Well what do you expect with two lazy teenagers and a husband who is a workaholic? I think we are doing okay. At least we don’t argue and scream at each other all day, like some families. At least we have a somewhat peaceful home.
OTHER KATE
If you say so, maybe we if could see a different version of what your life would be like. If we could only go into the past…
KATE
(Smirks)Like the Ghost of Christmas past?
OTHER KATE
More like the Ghost of Facebook past (laughs). But we can’t go back that far into your life. That would bring us to when, the 1990’s maybe? You were too young. You were teenager yourself. Your current family did not exist yet. Hmmmm. We will have to go back in time when there was no social media, but with your current family. An alternate universe if you will. Yes, that is what we will do. Let’s give you a glimpse of what your life would be like if you were raising the family you have now, in the past.
(Light shines back on the dining table where KATE’s family is sitting. None of them have phones, laptops or tablets. They all seem to be enjoying the meal. OTHER KATE brings a dish to the table)
OTHER KATE
Happy Thanksgiving Leftovers Day!
KENSY and COREY
Yum. Looks great!
MARK
I wish every day was leftover Thanksgiving Day.
OTHER KATE
So, how was everyone’s day?
KENSY
It was so fun. After we went shopping together I met Beth and Jaimie at the mall. Jaimie is looking for new soccer gear.
OTHER KATE
Oh really? Does she want to play soccer this year with you?
KENSY
Yeah, and volleyball too.
MARK
You know Kensy; we saw your progress report, high five on your grades so far.
KENSY
Yeah, school is killing me this year. But I want to get good grades; I’m hoping to take some college courses next year.
OTHER KATE
Just remember to have fun. I know your future is important, but try and have fun; you’re only in high school once. And Corey, how is school going for you? Anything we can do for you now that you’re a big college man?
COREY
It’s good; I’m just trying to get all of my core classes over with so I can concentrate on the electives. You know the fun stuff. (Winking at his mother-he pulls a guitar that was lying next to the table and starts strumming).
MARK
Corey, not at the table, can’t you put that thing down for one minute?
COREY
Yeah, I’m just working on composing this piece, and I am almost finished. It’s driving me crazy.
MARK
You know Kate. You have been working so hard, and you take such good care of us, why don’t you and I take a trip up to the mountains this weekend, to our favorite hotel?
(OTHER KATE gets up and walks over to Mark and kisses him. Light shines back on KATE.)
KATE
Okay, Okay. So life would be well, better. Maybe, I mean there is no guarantee. Sure Kensy was a more social, active kid before we got her a phone, and Corey was once really into his music. But who’s to say that Mark and I would be this happy? How can being unplugged really dictate our lives? It doesn’t seem possible, I mean Mark and I we even look better here! We both look so fit and healthy, and younger even!
OTHER KATE
It has nothing to do with your phone, your computer, your tablet, Kate. It has to do with your devotion to such things. Let me see your Facebook page again. As I scroll through your post you are living a double life. On Monday, you went to the gym and shared an inspirational message about having a heathy body. On Tuesday, you shared a recipe. “I must try this soon” you say. On Wednesday, you post a sentimental “throwback” picture of your wedding day, with a corny quote stating how much you love your husband. All of these sounds like you have a great life Kate. But it’s all just in here. (Gesturing to the phone) Not out here. (Gesturing all around) Do you see the difference between this Kate and that Kate? In the life you are living, you do none of these things. The Kate, the one we just saw, the “Ghost of Facebook past”, she uses her time wisely. Instead of saying that she is going to the gym, she actually goes to the gym, and she gets in a great workout! Instead of sharing a recipe, she actually tries a new recipe, she does this often, sometimes they are a hit, and sometimes they are a miss. She has a better relationship with her children because she is there for them. Not just physically, but mentally. She helps them with their homework, she lets them cry on her shoulder, she is engaged in their lives and it motivates them to do better. And Mark, Mark loves her not just because of the strong relationship that they have, but because she loves herself, and she is confident and happy. There is your Facebook life and your real life. Think of all of the hours that you have spent liking and sharing your interests on Facebook. If only you could take those hours and turn them into reality? Imagine, how great your life would be? Now, let’s see. We must go into the future. What will your life be like if you continue on as status quo?
KATE
I really don’t want to know!
(Light shines to OTHER KATE sitting at the table. She looks haggard, older. She is eating alone. Her phone makes a noise.)
OTHER KATE
Oh, is someone calling, no? Texting me? No. Hmmmm. What was that noise? Oh, it’s just a like on my post regarding Black Friday? It wasn’t that good. It doesn’t even look like Kensy or Corey bothered to look at my page today. I wish they would. I wish that they would call me, or even send me text. And Mark, I miss him the most around the holidays. It gets so lonely. At least I have all of these pictures from the past.
(KATE watching OTHER KATE, clutches her heart and climbs back into the bed. Mark is now in the bed with his back facing her sleeping. OTHER KATE gets up from the table, walks over to the bed and hands KATE her cell phone.)
KATE
(Looking down) At least I have my pictures.
OTHER KATE
The best memories can’t be uploaded.
KATE
So that’s the secret you are telling me, for living my best life? I should throw this thing away, stop taking pictures?
OTHER KATE
There is a saying, To be in your children’s memories tomorrow, you have to be in their lives today. I said I would not tell you what version is your best life. I am just asking you, that instead of documenting your life, instead of capturing everything, in a picture, that you upload and share later.. (OTHER KATE turns her back and starts walking off stage.)
KATE
The secret to living my best life is…(KATE turns and looks at her husband, then back at her phone)Is just making sure that I’m actually LIVING it!
(KATE lies down in bed and cuddles up to MARK as the lights fade.)
END OF PLAY