Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Monologue Mania Day # 1209 and 1210 M-Day and The Night Before (for D-Day)by Janet S. Tiger (c) June 6, 2017 and June 7, 2017

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Monologue Mania Day # 1209 and 1210  M-Day and The Night Before (for D-Day) by Janet S. Tiger (c) June 6, 2017  and June 7, 2017

This is the anniversary of D-Day, 73 years ago - a major thank you to all who served! 
This monologue was first posted Day #478  The Night Before  June 5, 2015

                                 The Night Before 
                              A monologue by Janet S. Tiger   © all rights reserved  2015                                                                                                            tigerteam1@gmail.com

           (The older man is wearing a uniform from World War II, infantry, with a cane.  He marches onstage a little tipsy, turns, and comes to face the audience, salutes.  )

I'm sorry I'm late.....and I wanna thank you again for doing this.  I know everything is digital and computer these days, so I appreciate….a touch of the past....

         (Listens)

Yes, sir, we had quite a party.  Tonight’s festivities reminded me of…..a party we had a long time ago……

I knew it was a good party because everyone was drunk.  And most of my friends were not big drinkers, but it was the end of the war.

(Sighs)  Some of my buddies didn't make it home, so I guess we drank their share.

Why am I talking about this tonight?  Because tonight is June 5th, and at midnight, it becomes the anniversary of D-Day.

I was on a transport on June 5th, waiting to hear if the landing was actually going to happen.  Funny, when the reporters ask about D-Day, they always want to hear how it felt to hit the beach.  But what I remember.....was the night before, because it was waiting, and throwing up, and waiting some more.  We'd been floating for what seemed like years.  Everyone wanted to get off those boats.  Maybe the bad weather was good, it made dying on shore look like a better idea........and we did, we died.  We sank, we got hit, we got blown up....thousands of us that one day.  

But the night before, we were alive....and miserable.

Every night of my life since that night, I have thought, just before I drift off to sleep......I have wondered what it would have been like, had I died the next morning.  Like some of my friends….

I would never have gotten married, had kids, had grandchildren.......that night was over 70 years ago, and I still can remember my head in the toilet......

Funny what you think about.......when you  have a few too many. 

             (He takes a wallet from his pocket, removes a photo)

This is a picture I have of our gang, back then, when we signed up, the week after Pearl Harbor..

And now you can take the picture …..of who's left.

           (He stands up very straight, adjusts his cap, and holds the photo in front of his chest.  There is a flash, he salutes and exits.  Almost the end of an era we must never forget.


 And for all those who were on those boats the night before - and who fought the next day, and all the days after- we thank you.)


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On a more personal note -it is also the anniversary for a moving day for my family 3 years ago - a heartfelt thank you to all who helped with that major event!

 (The monologue below was first posted -Day #114    M- Day   c) June 6, 2014)

                                                    M- Day-
                                                      Moving Day
                                                     by Janet S. Tiger
                               (c) June 6, 2014 all rights reserved

         (A woman comes onstage.  She is carrying a bag.  She is smiling)


We did it.  We moved.  And I am home......we are home......thank you God.......

Today our family moved - from a house we'd been in for 26 years.  It was not easy, but we did it.

Not enough boxes, too much stuff.  Too many decisions....a tsunami of decisions.  And, like a tsunami, the weeks, months of anticipation, the horror of the impending event, the sucking back of the sea as everyone runs for the hills, never fast enough, never enough boxes, always too much stuff.  Then the wave hits, and the power is amazing, the strength of the elements pouring on you......time gets shorter and shorter and as the wave of the move fully hits, you are just struggling to stay alive, with no way of holding onto anything concrete (as all the concrete has sunk) and only boxes are floating by.


Then the wave is gone - and only the debris remains.  The items that should have been thrown out, back on your shore.  Other treasures gone forever.  And the most valuable lesson of working together to succeed is the finest memory you have.


Not to compare moving with anything very serious - like an illness or death.

Perspective.


Today was also the anniversary of an incredible day - D- Day, and no problems with moving - nothing I could write ever write - could come close to the experience those people went through on that incredible day.  A day that changed the world forever.


Just like this move will change my world forever.


Something to think about.


      (She starts to exit, looks back)


Now where the hell are my glasses?


      (She shakes her head and goes to look for them.)



(Not the end - the beginning of a new chapter.....a huge thank you to family and friends who helped us during this incredibly difficult time.  We have a safe roof over our heads, and we are ready to face the future with renewed faith in our fellow human beings.  You are awesome - and you know who you are!) 

      
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Note: A few words about 'free' -  all these monologues are protected under copyright law and are free to read, free to perform and video as long as no money is charged. Once you charge admission or a donation, or include my work in an anthology, you need to contact me for royalty 
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Janet S. Tiger    858-736-6315                CaregiversAnon.org
Member Dramatists Guild since 1983
Playwright-in-Residence
Swedenborg Hall 2006-8

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