A 10 Year Anniversary (Part 2)

So here I am, fully healed and de-braced. Entering my senior year of high school, I got a new hair cut (thank God), a new car (no stick!), but still rocking the hand and ankle weight. I elected not to play soccer my senior. A decision I regret, but whatever.

Not so largely known fact: I was raised in a theatrical environment. My sister has a musical theater degree and traveled with a professional theater troupe for a few years. One of my brothers was in a lot of high school and civic theater musicals and dramas. The three of us we large in the choir scene: school choir, all-city choir, all-state choir, that sort. I had dabbled in musicals off and on since middle school, but I had not really taken it seriously. I decided my senior year to take this stuff more seriously. My high school choir entered a competition and went to the state championships for choir with 15 other schools. A first in my school's history. I entered the Indiana Regional Solo competition. I got a "first" certification and qualified for the Indiana State Solo competition. I got a first there too. It was something I always wanted to do and that I "knew" I would do well in, but I never did it. I thought, "This is my senior year, enough talk. Time to do." I proved myself right, thankfully.

Next, I tried out for my high school musical. I expected, given my recent vocal successes and so forth, to get a great part. I did not. In my opinion, I had a terrible tryout. I was good friends with the choir director, and she felt bad, but they had to do what they had to do. I understood. I was exceptionally disappointed. In childish form, I took my ball and went home. I politely declined the role I was given and decided to focus my time on working out and getting into shape to play college soccer (it was a DIII school, so it's not that impressive). I lost a great deal of weight and got close to my target weight. Actually, I passed it by a LOT. More on that later.

I learned a number of lessons from this musical debacle that I carry with me to this day.

1) Reputation and entitlement don't get you shit (and they shouldn't). You have to EARN things. I have not underestimated a tryout, interview, etc. since this time. It was not anyone's fault but my own that I did not get the part that I wanted. I had not earned it and I did not deserve it.

2) The best revenge is to show them how great you are. I tried out for the all-city musical (pool of applicants from 8 high schools, not just one). I was ready this time. I nailed the tryout and I got a fantastic part. I was a vocal lead of the musical (as opposed to a dramatic lead). The best moment was when said choir director approached me after the show and said, "Wow. I didn't know you had that in you. How did you learn to sing like that?" Something I would have thought she had known after 4 years. Apparently not. My response, "I always could." It was cocky. It was bold. It felt goooooood.

That summer was hands down one of the best summers of my life. Despite what happened next...