|
|
|
|
|
|
The
Song of Freedom |
-------It's
funny to think how easily we can get ourselves so wrapped up in
a project or endeavor that we become almost oblivious to the realities
that surround us. A long-time family friend and I recognized each
other in a crowded convention hall, though we had not seen each
other since my childhood. As I caught her up on my then-young teaching
career, she shared with me a story that, after many years of dormancy,
had recently blossomed before her very eyes. She had been a junior
high choir director, and the story she shared began very early in
her career, while she was inexperienced and most ambitious. She
selected a tune for her young choir that had always been one of
her favorite selections. She knew it was very inspirational and
patriotic, but she was far too naive to realize just how greatly
she had overestimated the ability level of her adolescent singers.
Her decision to teach the piece had been born of a strong passion
and a sincere desire to share with these energetic young souls the
gifts to be found within this special piece of music. In reality,
the situation became an intense struggle. _____The
piece failed to yield the patriotic and musical enlightenment she
had envisioned and rather became the foe in a fierce and bloody
battle to the end. Feeling somewhere deep inside that the goal was
now perseverance, she allowed herself to put her students through
an experience that, in retrospect, she was certain had been counterproductive.
The piece was finally performed, and considering the circumstances
came off fairly well. The final reward appeared to be more a feeling
of relief than the pride and sense of accomplishment she had hoped
they would each experience. She decided it was best to chalk this
one up to experience and move on, vowing to see that her future
endeavors created positive experiences for her students. They would
consist of goals that were relatively easy to attain, thereby offering
the opportunity to build confidence and positive self-esteem.
-------Years had gone by and she had
all but forgotten the event when she ran across a former student,
a young man who had been in that very choir which managed to survive
the painstaking battle. As they began talking he brought her up
to date with the events in his life since their last meeting in
his adolescent years. It seems that he had not done very well following
his school career. In fact, he had only recently been released from
prison. She was, of course, saddened to hear of the turn his life
had taken. She listened to the rest of his story with compassion,
her disappointment easing somewhat as he explained how he had been
able to survive prison life. He had managed to actually come out
of the experience with a fresh and positive outlook on life. He
had taken lonely and desperate times and turned them into positive
desire. -------------How was he able
to do this? He had formed a daily routine. He would sing that patriotic,
inspirational arrangement, note for note, exactly as she had taught
it to him years before. He went on to explain that it had been the
only time in his life when someone had made him work diligently
for anything. The song carried with it the understanding that he
could indeed achieve great things if only he would face the challenges
of life head on. It became his inspiration and fueled him with the
confidence to carry on, realizing the potential that rested before
him in every challenge yet unmet.
-------As she finished her story, I
became aware of the tears that were forming in each of our eyes.
In a tone of voice rich with peace and resolve she humbly concluded,
"You just never know what kind of impact you're having on people."
© 2004- The Trill House
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|