Falling Slowly

One morning in London I went to the Charles Dickens museum. The museum is located inside Dickens' old house down on Doughty Street. It was very interesting walking around the neighborhoods that Charles Dickens was so familiar with all those years ago. I tried to envision what it was like to live in the 1800's and it was amazing to see some of the structures that were still in place. Charles Dickens was a very prestigious writer and is still well-known today. On this trip I had to read Great Expectations, Oliver Twist, and Hard Times - So I am very familiar with his writing! Dickens was a very interesting man and obsessed with maintaining an impressive status in his community. His efforts were clearly seen in his four story house. The house and museum was beautiful. Every room was restored to its "original" state and filled with the authentic furniture Charles had owned. I toured his dining room, study, bedroom, and learned all about his life within his family and career. Touring the museum didn't last long, but I learned so much more about Charles Dickens by being in his environment. When I first started reading all the novels I wasn't fond of Dickens' writing style and would dread to endure another story. However, after learning all the struggle he experienced throughout his life, I have gained some respect for him. He was man who didn't agree with child labor and wished social classes would be generous and courteous to each other, which was rare in the Victorian Era. As the day turned into night I went and saw "Once the Musical." This was my fourth and final show on this trip and I knew this production in particular was going to be special. The story of this musical is about a man who is a very talented guitar player and singer  who had his heart broken. He then meets a girl who inspires him to continue with his music and they both make an album together. The story was absolutely memorizing and reminded me the importance of individuals in my life and how much they can make a difference.