I remember my high school talent show like it was yesterday. I was scared stiff. Although I had some talent, I had never performed before. You see, I loved to play harmonica, but I was never serious about playing in front of other people. I had been working on it for about four years, and I had learned some pretty tricky tunes, but I couldn't quite take it out in front of a crowd yet. Nonetheless, one of my friends pressured me into entering the school talent show. I am so glad he did because it was one of my crowning moments of glory. It gave me the confidence to seek out opportunities to perform in the rest of my life. It was really a profoundly moving and changing experience.
That is why I have done so much to try to convince my daughter to enter the childrens talent show. While I was a nervous, awkward kid, she is a veritable social butterfly. I know that underneath her bravado and apparent self-confidence lie deep insecurities, but nonetheless that bravado can get her places. She is practically ready to book a show – she is that good. She is one of the funniest kids I have ever met, and adults and children alike love to hear her standup routines. Nonetheless, she refuses to share her funny talent show skills with anyone but a few close friends, and of course her family. She is just too nervous to quite take it on stage.
This is why I have been booking a show for her – to show her how good she is. Of course, it is not a real show. Instead, it is an opportunity to perform in front of her family at one of our get-togethers. She loves doing this, and I'm quite sure that she will be happy to do it. The difference is that instead of informally getting up in front of everyone, She will be standing up on a makeshift stage. This will help her see a little but more of what it is like to participate in real talent shows or a casting call. It might seem like a trivial distinction, but to her the stage is scary. Having a stage in front of her family, however, will seem like just a game to her. After she gets up and performs her routine in front of us, I am hoping that she has the confidence to try out for the school talent show.
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