A Spec in Time Series

Daily prompt 11/11/25

I had the opportunity to attend the NY Metropolitan Opera for a production of Lulu by Alban Berg. It was awesome, the orchestra, singers, staging… all of it.

Lulu is a tragedy that surpasses most others. Up from the sewers into the high-foulant world, then crashing back into the gutter at the hand of Jack the Ripper. Lulu leads an extremely dysfunctional life. Sex, suicide, and murder are recurring themes of this libretto. A lot of sex-why do I give you this brief synopsis??? What made it outstanding was who sat behind me.

A voice that anyone would know. Dr. Ruth Westheimer, everyone’s favorite TV sex therapist. Dr. Ruth began talking to all of us as soon as she arrived. Of course, I turned around to be in awe of her enchanting voice and encompassing joy. She was writing a book, of course, and had been told by a friend that she just had to see this opera. I think she said she loved opera, maybe, her first time at the Met, and a whole bunch of things, but I was too star-struck to remember precisely. At intermission, we complained to each other about the drinking fountains always being too tall for us to reach comfortably. I will never forget that trip, that opera, the glory of the Met, or the sexy little German lady who made my day.