In drama scene from “Ain’t That Livin’?”, Cade informs his wife that he is ‘once and for all’ going to change his life.

CADE: I’m going to change my life, Nance.

NANCY: …

CADE: I’m goin’ to make a difference within myself.

NANCY (Hopelessly.): I’m sure you will.

CADE: It’s about time.

NANCY: It’s always about time.

CADE: I’ve been meditatin’..

NANCY: (She darts a look at Cade.)

CADE: Out there in the woods..when I go for those long walks by myself. I follow the creek until I get to the river and it’s nothing but quiet ’round there…there’s a boulder I climb and sit on, it overlooks the river and uh, I try to figure out all the ways I can make a change; I think about all the things I’d like to change, change about myself.

NANCY: Must be a phase you’re –

CADE: No, I, I want to change my life.

NANCY: You’re goin’ through another one of your, I don’t even know what the hell to call ’em, PHASES..the best I can come up with to describe these. Another phase that’ll last a month or six before you burn it out and find some other crap to hold on to.

CADE: Why can’t you take me seriously?

NANCY: Why should I?

CADE: It’d be nice.

NANCY: A new stove ’round here would be nice. Don’t you agree? It’s gettin’ harder and harder to clean the grill from all the grime that’s been buildin’ up over these years…

CADE: I’m tryin’ to talk to you about –

NANCY: I don’t wanna hear a fraction more of it..nobody does.

CADE: There ain’t nobody else but you.

NANCY: That’s ’cause everybody, everybody – got tired of hearin’ you! They just block their ears whenever you start talkin’, everyone, includin’ me, Cade, is tired of you!

CADE: Hell, now ya jumpin’ int –

NANCY: It’s true –

CADE: I stopped talkin’ to them! That’s the truth! I chose to stop talkin’ and hangin’ out with them liars, dogs, people…and weren’t you the bee buzzing in my ear non-stop? I shoulda listened to you sooner, you were right! I’ll admit. You tol’ me to stop, you tol’ me over and over. Ah, I was always gettin’ wrapped up in things I had no business gettin’ wrapped up in –

NANCY: And now? What about now?

CADE: What? I ain’t got into trouble.

NANCY: But it’s there breathin’ over us daily. I’m just waitin’ for the next grand event, Cade, what’s next? Eh? Said you was gonna stop makin’ all that moonshine a long time ago and you’re still at it.

CADE: (Abruptly.) We got to pay the bills, don’t we?!

NANCY: Pay the bills, yes, but you promised to be sellin’ those comic books a yours. How’d that work out?

CADE: That takes time.

NANCY: Come on, Cade. You been preachin’ the same sermon –

CADE: It takes time!

NANCY: Tired of hearin’ about your passionate distractions that lead to nowhere, addin’ more sand to the waste of time. Is this the best we gonna do?

CADE: …We ain’t starvin’.

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In the one-act eplay, “Ain’t That Livin’?” Cade has been going off every morning to meditate on a rock and Nancy has been secretly making a plan to open up an ice-cream soup shop with her friend Marge.  1 Woman, 1 Man.  Drama/Family drama.

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