Thursday, July 31, 2008

An 8 Year Olds Fun Pays Off

After months of practice and practice there she was an 8 ½ year old, standing waiting to march onto the field. What field? Why a huge football field as; she was about to perform in a baton twirling drum majorette competition. All the excitement of the last months, all the sore feet, blisters on fingers and toes, all the practice. At almost 8 ½ years old she was so excited! She loved her music, helped design her performance (AT 8 ½) and had worked at performing it over and over and over again. She knew it perfectly! Her Mother gave her small hand a squeeze and whispered “I love you honey”.

Mom knew the performance almost as good as her daughter. Mom knew how much her daughter loved all the tap dance classes, the ballet classes, the baton twirling classes, the acting classes that her young girl took. Mom also knew that her daughter was good. So there they stood waiting for the 8 ½ year old to march to the center of the field. The music came on and… she was off.

As she got to the center of the field and she turned to face the judges something happened….she forgot her routine!!! Oh NO…what was she going to do. In that split second, that 8 ½ year old realized the show must go on (as her acting and ballet teacher always told them)! As her routine music came on she smartly saluted the judges and off she went making it up as she went along. She knew the music so well she knew what was next so she did twirls, front back and over the head. She put in some one handed cartwheels while twirling the baton. (She had never done one before) She decided she was going to have fun and she didn’t care what happened or about the competition. At the end of the routine she threw the baton into the air so high it even surprised her and also to her surprise she caught it!!! She stopped saluted the judges again and marched off the field to loud applause!

Her Mom was standing there with her mouth wide open. What was that? What happened? That wasn’t your regular routine. "Oh Mom, I am soooo sorry I forgot the whole thing and decided to just make it up as I went along and have fun!" Her Mom put her arm around her and said that’s okay honey you had a good time today and you will always remember it. Her daughter asked if they could go home as she thought without the regular routine she didn’t have a chance to win. And off they went hand in hand smiling and laughing and discussing the made up routine.

The next day she went into the dance studio to a huge surprise. Everyone asked what happened to her the day before at the competition? Her teacher said she knew her routine that was performed was not the one they worked on but she did a great job and she were having such fun. You should have stayed, she said. Because SURPRISE you won second place!!! We are having a party for the whole troupe and you’re the STAR. She had won second place…wow…she was the STAR that day WOW!!! Wait till her Mother heard about this.

When you do something that you love and have a great time doing it, two things happen. First your love for what you do comes through, and second you become very good at what you are doing. When you love what you do success will follow.

Yip …this story is true, as I still have that medal for winning second place that day with a made up routine! My Mom was right I have never forgotten that day. You know that girls just gotta have fun! So...Go have fun...

Amazingly Yours
Dr Marlene


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