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- June 4, 2008: Hiding from Myself
- May 2, 2008: Will Power, not needed
- April 25, 2008: Will Power
- April 18, 2008: April 15 Dilemma
- April 9, 2008: What's Next?
- March 28, 2008: Being Right, revisited
- March 17, 2008: Report from Africa: Part 3
- March 13, 2008: Report from Africa: Part 2
- March 6, 2008: Report from Africa: Part 1
- March 6, 2008: After Africa
Links
Keeping My Promise
A few months ago, I made a promise to myself that I would be a star! I don’t mean the Helen Mirren or Barbra Streisand kind of star. I’m using the term star symbolically. What I promised myself was that I will stand in front of people and not numb out. Here’s how I envisioned this promise: I actually see the audience and connect with them. I feel and express my emotions. I speak as naturally as I do when I talk with a friend over iced tea. I have fluidity of movement in both body and mind. When I got my Promise Bracelet, I put a miniature of our Promise Power™ logo inside and said that I was going to be one of the stars in that logo.
On Sunday I began to realize that promise. A few weeks ago I resigned my coordinator position with the Pacific Mozart Ensemble. I took on the volunteer job three years ago when they were about to fold up their music stands and stop performing because the logistics of running such an organization had overwhelmed their leadership. During my tenure, I accomplished my goal of creating a volunteer force who worked efficiently and effectively, which allowed me to resign in order to have more time to develop my own business. There is one job the singers can’t do while they are singing, so I stayed on as the House Manager for their concerts.
Sunday was the last performance of their Spring concert. As they finished their warm-up, they called me up front to present me with several extraordinary gifts. I wasn’t expecting such an event and found myself totally unprepared. The iPod, jewelry, and gift certificate to Chez Panisse are fabulous. That’s a lot of presents, anyone of which would have sufficed as a thank you! I was overwhelmed by the generosity of this group. It was the perfect setup for me to go numb.
I was amazed to find myself feeling very real and very alive. Imagine this. I was standing on the Director’s podium and the chorus of 40, all in concert black, were standing on the risers looking down at me. There I was crying – I was actually crying, a rarity for me. There I was, crying and at the same time saying how much that group means to me, and I saw them looking back at me. I really saw them! I saw their shining faces sending me acknowledgement, appreciation, and love. I’ve gotta tell you, that image will get me through any tough spot I encounter in the future. Remembering those faces and the outpouring of emotion will be my source of strength and courage. I can’t thank them enough for caring so much that they broke through the cement wall that I’ve been hiding behind for 63 years!
That’s a promise kept, a dream come true!
©2007, Jacqueline Hale