We watch American Idol, well, we do now after a few years off. Wednesday night was the first night back for season 11 and of course the first couple of episodes show some people with real talent and people whose talents definitely do not lie in the singing spectrum.
Invariably, every person with lackluster vocal talents said, “Well, everyone says I can sing!” ”They say I’m a cross between Brad Paisley and Chris Daughtry,” or “I’ve sung the National Anthem at lots of ballgames!” And every time I say, “bless their heart!” Marty says that they bring it on themselves, but some of them have friends and family who have travelled with them across miles to support them in this endeavor, and they have lied to them! Lied! Anyone hearing some of these people would know that there is no talent. Some of the friends are grinning as they console them because they knew what was going to happen!
When I was younger I wanted nothing more than to be an actress on a Soap Opera. I know, shocking right? I’m not the least bit overdramatic! I wanted to be on General Hospital, to be exact. I wanted to be a nurse, right beside Bobbi and marry Lucky Spencer (son of the soap opera super couple Luke and Laura). I wanted to sit right beside Susan Lucci and wait for my Daytime Emmy (forget the Oscars!), and hopefully it wasn’t going to take me 19 years. I loved to act. I was in small productions in Lexington as a 3rd-4th grader, I ate up church Christmas productions (even as a Kindergartener I longed to be Mary but was stuck as an angel because of my blonde hair.) I did some theater in high school, I was an avid reader and often acted books out in my head/room (overshare? Is it any wonder I didn’t have a lot of friends?). I guess somewhere along the way someone filled me in that there were not a lot of roles for fat, pimple ridden girls in daytime drama. I also realized at some point, I’m not that talented. You should hear my performances of the nightly Bible readings. I try to give different accents but they all come out sounding a little southern cockney.
The point I’m trying to make is, someone told me the truth. Hard as it may have been, I wouldn’t trade the way my life turned out for anything. But someone had to tell me, so that I didn’t get up on national television and make an idiot of myself.
I guess, as a parent, that’s the struggle, how much truth do we tell them. Do we tell the clumsy one that they’ll never be the star of the basketball team? Do we tell the ugly girl she’ll never be prom queen? Do we tell the 12 y/o with the cracking voice he’ll never sing? I think it’s my job to encourage, and please hear me say my parents did that (they sat through a whole season of basketball where I rode the bench, played for a total of 30 seconds I believe). But, I also have to guide, point them in directions where they can succeed, encourage them in new endeavors (thanks for that season of basketball by the way), and speak truth when it’s just not going as it should.
If the first 4 years have been any clue, my children are destined for Daytime Emmys. Watch out Susan Lucci!
I know what you mean. But, I had a daughter that sang from the time she opened her mouth, & honestly she got better & better, & knowing how they can change things in recording , who knows what would have happened. I have heard some stars sing with out all the back up & staging & sound devices & thought something was bad! wrong with their voice. So what does it hurt to dream some, others I agree need a big big wake up call
I think I didn’t make myself clear, didn’t elaborate enough. I know kids can get better, that’s the struggle with me. When to cut it off and say, ok, we’ve tried, it’s not working.
I’m all for pushing kids to do their best, I didn’t quit the basketball team even though I rode the bench the entire season and it was evident that I just did not have the talent. I finished what I started. But you know the coach didn’t beg me to come back like he begged me to start before that year (I was a pretty tall 7th grader, however tall does not equate great basketball skills!)
I desperately want my kids to do what God calls them to and will support them in whatever that may be, but I don’t want to prolong the agony if He may be telling them no with the obvious lack of talent.
It’s one thing to tell my 3 year old that the blob she draws is great, I mean it is for a 3 year old, but at 23 if she’s still drawing the same thing, I need to tell her the truth that she may not want to go the artist route. Some of the ones on the show were singing like they were 12 at 25. I think I was just really frustrated with the 25 year olds on the show who had been told the truth by talented judges and they were acting as if they were really surprised, because people had been telling them they were good when they obviously weren’t.
How dare you disrespect the Bible with your southern cockney!!!!! Just kidding. Great read today. Some parents are overly proud of their children from one good or great performance and think they’re on their way, without having to put in the actual work. Not everyone has God-given talent, but sometimes God wants to see how bad you want it before he gives you an opportunity to show your worth. I catch myself saying all the time “I can do better than that” while watching a tv show or a movie, or even “I’m better than him right now and I’m out of shape and 32 years old” while watching a college basketball game. I don’t believe people intentionally lie to their family or friends about how good, but want to be apart of something that may be bigger than anything else to them, or just to share the experience. Or they may enjoy watching their friends getting emotionally crippled on national television.
Isaac often corrects me on my pronunciation. I blame it on the British actor who reads the stories on the CD they listen to every night.