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Heaven’s gift. That’s what my name means in Hawaiian. But
I never exactly thought of myself as “Heaven’s Gift.” In
my childhood days I thought of myself as a failure. I couldn’t
wear such a name. I lived my first eleven years with that heavy burden
on my shoulders. Then something happened.
It happened when I was about eight or nine. I was a weird kid; I’ll
be the first to admit that. While other kids were listening to pop music,
I filled my ears with songs from The Phantom of the Opera; a musical
that will forever hold a special place in my heart. Why you may ask?
Because that was the musical my mother sang to me when I was a baby.
Her voice wasn’t something to jump up and scream about, now I know.
But when I was small, I thought it was from an angel, my personal angel
that no one can take from me. Then something great happened. My dad scored
us tickets to the play at the Majestic theatre. Mom groomed me to perfection
that night, and when we got to the theatre, excitement shot through me.
The actors seemed so perfect on stage. The world seemed to stop when they were
singing. And I knew right then and there that I had to perform. It was amazing.
So amazing I can’t describe to you how I felt. But I can tell you giddiness
ran through me when I got home.
That’s why I took Drama in Middle School. When the class watched me I felt
perfect. How could a human being go through their lives without this feeling?
I thought.
Someday I want to be famous. Okay, maybe everyone wants to be famous, but, I
just feel like a butterfly soaring through the sky when I act out a scene, that
my drama teacher gives to me. Feeling the hotness of my cheeks from a blush after
someone tells me how amazing I was, I feel real.
Now I know that my middle name is special. Now I know that can live up to it.
Even if I can’t become a movie star in lights, I will still continue to
act. Maybe I can become a drama teacher and inspire someone.
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