Be careful where you stand and who your friends are!
A little talent gets lost when it stands in the shadows of greats.
I'm being facetious of course.
And then again I am not. Among my friends I am known for having a little musical ability and a little writing ability, but then many of my friends are well known for having a lot of musical ability and a lot of writing ability.
They are all kind to a fault where I am concerned, but my pounding on the piano does not compare with concert level musicians who can actually support themselves with their gifts. Nor does my writing garner any great awards compared to those academic and popular books actually written and sold by other friends.
In a world without television or radio, or computers, I am passable at so many things, but on a world level I do not even rank being noticed and most of the time that is more than fine with me. I am horrifically shy. Every oboe solo I ever played caused me unbelievable anguish. I nearly dropped out of college rather than take speech.
I am relegated to performing for people walking by windows, attending funerals, or reading under duress. It's not that I do not like to perform. I am just so afraid I won't measure up that I would rather not take chances. If I do end up in front of people and they like it, I am so excited my hands shake and I sometimes have no memory of it. Then I assume they were just being kind.
My moment in the sun was mostly while teaching preschool. Three year olds are fantastic audiences. If you are their teacher, they think everything you do is extraordinary. Every word you speak, every picture you draw, every story you tell, is rewarded by rapt attention and nothing compares to that.
These are my people - sweet, kind, and safe.
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