I just got home from 2 days of acting as a judge for preliminary auditions for "Happy Valley's Got Talent".....I use the term "acting" as a judge because in the face of the people who came through the door and sitting at a table with such people as a television producer, voice teachers, dance instructors, instrumentalists and various other truly artsy people, I felt pretty unqualified.
Over the course of 2 days, we saw somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 auditionees. In 3 age categories. And countless genres. Some of them were extremely talented. And some will clearly not appear in the final show on April 2nd. But I was struck as I watched young and old come forth and share what they believed were their best gifts.....and a few words come to mind that describe a commonality they shared.....
Courage ....it certainly took a measure of courage to appear in that dimly lit room and perform for some possibly curmudgeonly looking judges (not me - I was the Paula person - smiling....sometimes strainedly so).....and it occurred to me that there is NO WAY that I could have done that at the age of 12....heck - I can hardly even do it now....(as my recent auditioning experiences have proven). There were some people who even shared that they really only ever perform their talent in the privacy and safety of their own homes. So I applaud them for coming.
Heart.... while it may at first seem this is the same thing as courage, it is not. What I am talking about is that piece of themselves they shared with us....whether spoken or unspoken....there was a tremendous amount of heart in what they all did. Some appeared more confident than others....but at the core of their being there was the belief that each had something worth sharing. And don't we all, really? But how often do we keep it inside us....or diminish its importance? And maybe it's not in the form of a heart stopping Kenny G - type sax performance, or be as exotic as a belly dancing troupe (my belly dances, but not on purpose and people definitely won't be paying to see it move!).....but we each touch another's life when we allow the heart to be open.
Encouragement....I was looking for a better word than this to describe what I have in mind....but honestly, is there any greater thing than encouragement? Each one of these performers was in that room because someone, somewhere, believed in them..... and made them feel worthy of the opportunity to compete. Do you realize what this means? That there are still people out there who still choose to see the best in someone.....who look for the golden nuggets......who hear the dreams of someone they care about and cheer them on to give it a try....
This whole event is a fund raiser to benefit the Tides program - a bereavement support group for kids/teens and the people who care for them. And in thinking about it all, each one of the people who attend the Tides program are also living breathing examples of courage, heart, and encouragement. Being a Tides volunteer, I am far more on the receiving end of these attributes than I am the giving end.
It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as a judge.....as it is an honor and a privilege to work with the Tides program. My life is a little richer because of both of these opportunities.
So I must say, as often as I struggle with certain aspects of living here, I have been made aware that not only is it true that Happy Valley's INDEED Got Talent, (we saw many impressive acts), Happy Valley also has courage, heart, confidence, encouragement, laughter, and promise.
