As God is my witness.

Today marks a sad passing in my life. It is the last day to renew my season tickets for the Broadway series at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. I've been a season ticket holder for fifteen years with seats in the Orchestra section, row C, 9 & 10. Back when I purchased these seats, there was no additional charge for being down front. About six or seven years ago, they added a charge of $1,000 a seat, which they call a donation, for season tickets to seats in the first ten rows. I never had to pay the new "donation" because I was grandfathered in. That's another reason we have held on to those seats even in previous years when we could not afford them.

But finances this year took an even dimmer path and we are now forced to let them go.

One of the first dates with my dear wife, Leslie, was to see Fiddler On The Roof. We have seen so many wonderful shows that it's impossible to single one out. Many times, we assumed a play was going to be a dud, but it turned out to be spectacular, such as the recent Adam's Family and most especially, Mary Poppins, which was just phenomenal. I have had the personal pleasure of looking directly into the eyes of such great stars as Jerry Lewis, Hayley Mills, Richard Chamberlain, Elliott Gould, Lou Diamond Phillips, Michael Learned, Richard Thomas, Tom Bosley, Ted Neely, Robert Goulet, Cathy Rigby, and was able to get front row seats to see the one and only, Tony Bennett; plus others I'm sure I cannot recall at this moment.

This day brings me face-to-face with the downside of my disability; with hearing damage; with being legally blind and unable to drive; with having had two back surgeries, a budging disc in my neck and a partially herniated disc in my lower back; and with my three knee surgeries. It is these things, but mostly my hearing and vision loss, that has made it hard for me to have a steady income. I feel like Scarlett O'Hara.

"As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be in a position where I can't afford luxurious, front row, season tickets, again."

Doesn't sound near as desperate when you add the luxurious line, I know, but still, this is a very sad day and one I damn well plan on redeeming. As God is my witness.