Life
Suburban Life
July 14, 2010
B3
Some factors involved in becoming mature
Consider, “If you find that your challenges balloon out when you think they should be diminishing; if you feel too tired to get up again but realize that life never lets you down very long; if life is even less fair than they warned you it would be; well, you are probably quite healthy and normal.” So writes psychologist Dr. Eugene Kennedy. What he’s expressing are some of the elements involved in becoming mature. When we’re young we think that becoming mature means that troubles level off and we’re more in control of life. The truth is that the difference between an adolescent and a mature adult is not that the adult has fewer problems. Rather, it’s because the
adult – if he or she is actually becoming m o r e mature – becomes m o r e accomFather Lou plished in Guntzelman coping. Coping Perspectives means figuring out healthy ways of dealing with the problems of life rather than seeking escapes from them. Mature adults come to realize, at least in some subtle way, that how we handle our problems and pressures is what brings about maturation. It may sound paradoxical, but Carl Jung said, “Man needs difficulties; they are
necessary for health.” The Aztecs had a saying: “A boy remains a boy until there is need of a man.” The same for all of us. The vexation and pain of our own problems powerfully show us the need for a mature man or woman to be standing in our shoes. If we’re courageous, we rise to the occasion. If we’re wimpy we opt out with some excuse, get high, or get lost in the world of technology. The contradictions, pressures and inconsistencies of life are the midwives that give birth to many precious human qualities. Jung also noted, “The serious problems of life are never solved, and if they seem to have been solved, something humanly important has been lost.”
Playhouse holds children’s auditions The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park will hold auditions Saturday, Aug. 7, for boys interested in performing two roles in the 20102011 production of “Over the Tavern.” “Over the Tavern” returns to the Marx Theatre Jan. 22 through Feb. 19 (opening night: Jan. 27). It will be presented as a co-production with the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, where it will run Dec. 1 through Dec. 26. Two area boys will be cast to fill the roles of Rudy, who is 12 years old; and his brother Georgie, a 13-yearold boy with mental disabilities, described as sweet but with the mind of a 3- to 4-
year-old. The part of Rudy – and possibly the part of Georgie – will require a commitment to both the St. Louis and Cincinnati productions. A parent or other designated guardian will be required to accompany them to St. Louis for the entire run, and tutors will be provided. Boys should submit a resume of any experience to the Playhouse, along with a photograph (a good quality school or family photo is acceptable). Boys auditioning for the part of Rudy will be asked to perform a couple of scenes from the play; boys auditioning to portray Georgie will perform a
monologue. Rehearsals for the St. Louis production begin Nov. 5; rehearsals for the Cincinnati production begin Jan. 14. Interested boys must be available for all performances of the show, which are scheduled Tuesdays through Sundays and include several weekday student and public matinees. Headshots and resumes should be sent to the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, ATTN: AUDITIONS, c/o Edward Stern, P.O. Box 6537, Cincinnati, OH 45206. To be considered, all photos and resumes must be received at the Playhouse by Friday, July 30.
Another important factor in becoming mature is learning how to balance. To be mature is not a matter of getting 100 on some kind of Life Test. It is rather a balancing of the demands of life so that A equals B equals C. These alphabet letters, of course, represent various ingredients of a healthy life which have to be integrated in a reasonably harmonious balance. What are the ingredients that need balancing? Aspects such as self and others, gratification and discipline, bodily needs and spiritual needs, intellect and emotions, action and reflection, self-assertion and
respect for others and the demands of relationships. The over-riding goal is to become more human. Do the young have a more rugged road? Is it more difficult for most people to mature today? Author Joseph Gallagher thinks so. He writes; “The pressure problem of many people today is the problem of toomuch-ness… Too much noise, too much news, too many distractions, too many meetings, too many memos, too many social obligations, too many expectations, etc.” These make it more difficult to cope in a healthy way. Some of us opt out of
maturing by adopting the pose of a martyr. We shirk our responsibilities, claim we haven’t had the right breaks, and say that our problems are always someone else’s fault. We need to roll up our sleeves and struggle with the inconsistencies of life, and listen to the advice of coach philosopher Lou Holtz: “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it.” Father Lou Guntzelman is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Contact him at columns@community press.com or P.O. Box 428541, Cincinnati, OH 45242.
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