Stage persona
Mordecai has always been an outgoing lad. His father and I love this part of him for different reasons that are really the same. His father sees him as brave and outgoing, a healthy confidence. I see him as the little me that should have been. I was a shy child. But if I had been the me I should've been, the me I am now, I would've taken to an audience like a fish to water. I don't get shy, there's a thin streak of showmanship that runs through this old dog. That's why the boy's father and I cringed recently when we noticed our oldest clamming up. We regularly go to children's theatre and when we encouraged our son to volunteer when the actors ask for kids to interact he slouched and rigorously shook his head. His dad worried he had lost his nerve, I worried the ugly nature of the self-conscious had begun to take over. A year ago this boy jumped on a stage like he'd been born there. Sang and danced for anyone who would watch.
Anyway, tonight we had a little victory. Jaya is out of town, and I took the boys to a different theatre to see Pinocchio. This traveling theatre group eventually looked for volunteers and our boy literally jumped out of his seat and waved his hand so crazily the actor had to choose him. His job was to help another little girl pick the giant puppet up and after they did this and waited on stage while Gepetto lectured, Cai laughed hysterically everytime the puppet-actor keeled over again. He then got excited and after giving me several thumbs-ups and dancing around the stage with Pinocchio a bit they escorted him off to a round of applause. He spent the next five minutes raising his hand and once shouting 'Excuse Me!' to the actors. I continued to shush him until finally he whispered desperately, "But Mama, I want to go help some more!"
Don't get it wrong, I am not a stage mother. I wouldn't sell my kid to show business for a million bucks. But I know what it means to feel confident in front of a crowd. What it means is that you stop worrying what everyone thinks and you feel free enough to be silly, to enjoy just being yourself. I want that for my kids more than nearly anything. I want them to forget about what the masses think and just to assume that they are loved. I've found that when you do, the ones who count do love you for being that simple, that straight-forward. So while my baby won't be in the movies anytime soon, he will be dancing his little heart out for anyone who cares to witness his magic.
Anyway, tonight we had a little victory. Jaya is out of town, and I took the boys to a different theatre to see Pinocchio. This traveling theatre group eventually looked for volunteers and our boy literally jumped out of his seat and waved his hand so crazily the actor had to choose him. His job was to help another little girl pick the giant puppet up and after they did this and waited on stage while Gepetto lectured, Cai laughed hysterically everytime the puppet-actor keeled over again. He then got excited and after giving me several thumbs-ups and dancing around the stage with Pinocchio a bit they escorted him off to a round of applause. He spent the next five minutes raising his hand and once shouting 'Excuse Me!' to the actors. I continued to shush him until finally he whispered desperately, "But Mama, I want to go help some more!"
Don't get it wrong, I am not a stage mother. I wouldn't sell my kid to show business for a million bucks. But I know what it means to feel confident in front of a crowd. What it means is that you stop worrying what everyone thinks and you feel free enough to be silly, to enjoy just being yourself. I want that for my kids more than nearly anything. I want them to forget about what the masses think and just to assume that they are loved. I've found that when you do, the ones who count do love you for being that simple, that straight-forward. So while my baby won't be in the movies anytime soon, he will be dancing his little heart out for anyone who cares to witness his magic.
