Every summer, for about a week, girls all over our church head out to go camping. Some girls have to rough it in tents. Some, like the groups I went with, were able to enjoy cabins as we “camped.” I remember my days at Camp Lo Mia as a young teenager. Some of my best memories were there. We would always have a talent show somewhere during the week and usually I did something terribly silly with some friends. Others showed off real talents.
One year, when I was pretty much a new camper, one of the older girls sang a song from the Broadway musical, A Chorus Line. I don’t remember what song she sang, only that she was incredible. I imagined myself on stage, doing what she was doing. I decided right then and there, that was what I wanted to do.
Sing, dance and act on a stage in front of an adoring audience… But there was a problem.
First, I couldn’t dance. No rhythm. At all. None. In fact, when I was younger, I am pretty sure I got kicked out of dance class.
Second, I couldn’t act. I tried taking drama class, but forgot my lines and giggled so much my teacher was about ready to fail me. Just couldn’t keep it together.
Finally, I am not a singer. I can carry a tune – on a good day. However, I got a voice teacher once, in hopes of improving my voice. She did an initial consult with me and told me she wouldn’t work with me. I should just stick to choir singing I just didn’t have a solo voice.
“Well, that’s ok.” I thought. I moved on to other aspirations. Put my little “dream” away on the back shelf of my mental closet and went about my life.
A quarter of a century later, I get an “innocent” phone call from the “most-uber-talented-made-a-CD-she’s-that-professional” lady in our ward. She wanted to know if I would be in a mini-musical for a Relief Society program. I laughed out loud. She had never heard me sing. She had never seen me attempt to act. She really didn’t know much about me other than I was new to the ward and my cousin (who used to be in the ward) was an amazing singer. (Personally, I think someone was trying to come up with an idea of how to get me to come to Homemaking since I hadn’t been in this ward yet)
Anyway, all those wide-eyed-rose-colored dreams came spilling off the mental shelf I thought I had long, ago secured away. I imagined a rush of talent filling every fiber of my being. I imagined myself singing until the angels themselves joined me. I floated on my cloud for a while, oh – maybe until I hung up the phone, and then I wondered what on earth I had been thinking??
Thankfully, there is no dancing involved. But somehow, I am supposed to sound like I know how to sing. Somehow, I have to remember and say lines without cracking up. Somehow, with all these super talented women next to me, I have to look like I know what I am doing.
GULP!!!
Oh yeah. And guess when the performance is??? Today. April Fool’s Day.
Rather appropriate don’t you think???
