April 6, 2025, with less than a minute left in the game, Duke was winning; I understand why people would leave to “beat traffic.” But in this case, Houston scored 9 points, count ’em, 9 points in the last 35 seconds to win the game. Some people missed it, but hey, they got ahead of traffic. Perhaps I didn’t walk away or start anything else because of the night before.
The Boston Symphony performed the Elgar Violin Concertos with guest violinist, Frank Peter Zimmermann. From my vantage point in the concert hall, I could see people leave immediately after the last number finished amidst the rousing applause. After the guest violinist and conductor walked out and took a bow, maybe a third left. We, the audience kept applauding and voila. Frank Peter Zimmerman returned to the stage and gave a blistering solo performance of Der Erlkonig by Franz Schubert.
This week I saw the movie, Sinners. Amazing movie that I had to see before I heard spoilers. What I did hear was to wait for the scene after the credits. OK, I am one to watch the credits on principle, people worked hard and I want to believe they appreciate the fact someone saw their names. Maybe this started after a Spike Lee film and I saw Cecilia Hobbs listed as one of the violinist, someoneI grew up with. For Sinners, Rhiannon Giddens is one of the musicians and I’d just heard her last week at the Boston Symphony with Ken Burns. Anyway, the point is, there are TWO scenes during the credits. To my surprise, I haven’t talked to anyone yet who saw the second one. I stayed until the end.
Sometimes, a performance, an event can be so mind numbingly boring or awful, one has to leave the situation in haste. Other times? OK, I’ll admit, I’ve started to judge; please note – I judge, but I don’t sentence! I wonder, what’s the purpose to attend the event? To say you were there? Curiosity? Or is it to have the full immersive experience. Of course it’s easy for me to stay, there is no sitter to rush home to, no dog to walk, no negotiating with traffic. Maybe the better question is how do you define the end? This week, consider do you wait until the end or are you on to the next?
Balancing on Unstable Surfaces 
I love how you connected the three endings. I walked out before the credits rolled and only saw them online afterward — and I truly regret that. It was a valuable lesson. I really appreciate what you said about staying for the credits; so many people contribute to making these films, and not staying to see their names feels like a disservice. I missed so much meaning in the scenes that followed, and I’m grateful the internet had spoilers so I could catch up.
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