Moments of fame and greatness

 

We all have our moments of fame and greatness. Sometimes we don't realize it at the time and sometimes those moments are magnified beyond their true importance.

As a child I loved to be picked. What child doesn't? Twice I was picked to be on television's Pegwell Circus and I felt so lucky! Not to be on television, but to be able to compete for a prize by throwing hoops over something. Once I won a plastic canteen that someone wrote my name on with a marker. I was so excited about that! Another time, while still in elementary school my science notebook won me a place on another local TV show. That time I was older and felt "famous."

Playing the oboe solo in Swan Lake was actually a real honor, but I viewed it with terror. I took no pleasure in that. Nor did I want to be on the news when our school principal was arrested as a pedophile. He was a man we had all admired for many years, but it turned out he had a dark side.

As a mother and teacher there are numerous chances to shine, but perhaps beyond all the chances to stand in front of people or have my little plays performed by children was the one moment I was alone in a car with my husband and daughter in the middle of the night. She gave birth to my first granddaughter right there, in the car, and I was the first person to ever hold that tiny life right in my hands and welcome her to the world. 

Since then I once was surprised to find myself on the cover of a local magazine, which was my fault. When they asked if it was okay I wasn't paying attention, so when people began congratulating me I didn't know what they were talking about! 

I've lived a long time and I have to say that on the whole I've had relatively few moments of fame and greatness, but while they weren't all good and most were rather paltry, they have all contributed to who I am.