Talent Show

Went to a CD release party for the new band that my son William is in, Jenny Reynolds and Cherry Hill. Which got me to thinking about my very own lack of talent, and how I seem to have gotten by-passed.

Of my five children, three display definite talent in various areas - William with his instrumental talent, singing, and song-writing, Angela with singing,  acting and writing, and Erica with her Irish dancing.

My mother loved acting - she was active in drama through her high school days, through two years of college, then while serving in the army during World War II, and later in Community Theater in her 30s and 40s.  Her mother played piano - I know this because when she moved from Michigan to California in the 1900s she took her piano with her.

My father played piano. I am not sure what his training was, but he was good enough to play professionally in Palm Springs, California for a while during the depression of the 1930s. I have a newspaper ad promoting his appearance. I have a photo of his mother with a mandolin in hand, and one of his father with a guitar.

The census of 1860 indicates that my great great grandmother was a piano teacher; by 1885 her husband had a music store which dealt in pianos and organs, undoubtedly run by his wife.

I, on the other hand, unsuccessfully tried the clarinet in the fifth grade, and piano while in my 30s. While I could find the keys, I struggled with the rhythm. I discovered in the sixth grade when I tried out for choir that I could not carry a tune. Dancing proved disastrous. I took dance lessons in high school - hated it, hated the lessons, hated dancing. I became a card-carrying non-dancer, only reluctantly appearing on a dance floor, and then only if it was slow, and no more than one dance.

After my wife passed away last year I decided to take up line-dancing lessons at the Senior Center, just to keep active. I sensed immediately that this was going to be a challenge, and wondered just how long I would last - I couldn't get the steps. Then when I finally got a step, I couldn't transition to the next step. After about four months, I was able to go through one complete song without looking at my feet - progress at last.

My real test came in June at my grandson's wedding. We had been practicing the Electric Slide at dance class for four or five weeks and I felt that I might be able to pull it off if they played it at the reception. Well, they didn't (at least not while I was there), but they did play three other line dances, none of which I had ever heard or practiced. But as they began each one, I was out on the dance floor (listening, as best as I could, and watching the steps of others).

Was I a success? I suppose it depends on your definition of success. I stayed on the floor for each entire number. I was able to do some of the steps as well as some, not as well as others.  I was not as self-conscious as I thought I would have been, even though I did have an audience of sorts - after all, I was on the floor with 20 and 30 somethings.  Was I talented? Not really - but I felt confident, I enjoyed what I was doing, and I was having fun. I guess that's what matters. So, yes, I was a success.