Memorizing more than Bible verses

Last week I decided to audition for a Shakespeare play. I noticed the announcement:
MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.
Botanic Gardens.
Director: Barry Kyle, former director for the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Though it made NO PRACTICAL sense to audition. It's an Asian produciton and I'm white. I've got a full plate already for next April and May, and I'm in almost daily physical pain.
Strangely I kept coming back to the emailed announcement.
It was like a personal challenge.
Maybe something like when people have this dream of "running a marathon" or "hiking Mt. Everest."
I had this urge to just give it a try.
I don't want to live a life with regrets, so I started memorizing, praying, "Anytime you want to let me know I am being foolish, or shouldn't do this...you can let me know!"

I didn't want to choose just any old good monologue.
Knowing the benefits of memorizing the Bible for wisdom and a sage outlook on life's circumstances, I started thinking about what portion of the Bard's work might "renew my mind."

So I chose 1 minute of the final words in TAMING OF THE SHREW (V.ii). Jim has always called himself my Petruchio; which is more wishful thinking than anything really. Perhaps now that I've memorized these lines, I'll actually be converted:

When a woman is froward, peevish, sullen, sour
and not obedient to her husband's honest will,
what is she but a foul contending rebel
and graceless traitor to her loving lord?

I am ashamed that women are so simple
to offer war when they should kneel for peace,
or seek for rule, supremacy and sway,
when they are bound to serve, love and obey.

Why are our bodies soft, and weak, and smooth,
unapt to toil and trouble in this world
but that our soft conditions and our hearts
should well agree with our external parts?

Come, come you froward and unable worms!
my mind hath been as big as one of yours,
my heart as great, my reason haply more,
to bandy word for word and frown for frown.

But now I see our lances are but straws,
our strength is weak and weakness past compare,
that seeming to be most which we indeed least are.

Then vail your stomachs, for it is no boot,
and place your hand below your husband's foot
in token of which duty, if he please,
my hand is ready, may it do him ease.

When I told the director that my husband would be very happy that I had committed this to memory. He said, "Oh, you tell your husband that he's a pig." I answered, "Oh, no. He's really not!"

I had a good (and scary time) following through with the audition. Those who held the audition were warm (except for the ice woman who checked us in), and the director gave some time to encouraging me after my two pieces. While I was waiting for another friend to show up for her audition time I chatted with some actors in the green room. Just doing it was a confidence builder.