Ruth Munroe: Standing ovations painful for some, so they clap all the harder

Re: “Show the love, Gallo Audiences” (Letters, Feb. 29): The letter asking people to stand to show their appreciation for performers at the Gallo Center, stated “it takes very little effort to stand up.” That is so not always true. I have terrific pain in my legs that makes even the act of standing very painful. Standing for even a few minutes, impossible. I usually don’t even stand to pay homage to God when in church. He understands, and I am sure performers understand that it is not possible for everyone to show their appreciation in that way.

For many of us it is an effort to even make it to our seats; once we do, that is where we stay.

I clap and whistle and shout when appropriate and I enjoy the shows. So the next time the letter writer attends a performance at the Gallo or anywhere else, I hope he realizes not everyone is as blessed as he is to be able to stand.

This story was originally published March 3, 2016 at 5:56 PM with the headline "Ruth Munroe: Standing ovations painful for some, so they clap all the harder."