Pomp and Circumstance

A couple of weeks ago the kids had Show Choir tryouts.  Last year J was terrified and was hardly able to pull off a rendition of "Happy Birthday."  Even though he pulled it together he didn't make it, but was told that if he worked on his confidence and picked a different song he would make it in this year for sure.  He waffled back and forth as to whether or not he would tryout again this year and in the final hour was convinced by the teacher who rejected him last year to tryout.  So, he practiced and practiced his song and gave himself several pep talks to help him with his stage fright. On the night when his turn was called, he bounded up the stage and went right into his song without missing a beat.  He sounded really good, and I'm not just his Mom saying that!  He really did.  He forgot where he was in the song at the end, but still did a great job.  His confidence in his doing what he needed to make it in was pretty high.  MJ of course pulled out another great performance herself and she has made it in the previous 2 years so we excepted no less this year.  On Monday morning the list was posted in the hallway.........

J didn't make it again this year!  I couldn't believe it.  MJ couldn't believe it.  His friends that were there couldn't believe it.  Word had even gotten around school how awesome he did.  I was there the night of tryouts.  My ears were bleeding from a night of listening to some kids that really should not think of singing as in their future.  We of course felt some devastation and anger at the news.  There were kids on the list that did horribly and 2 especially that made it last year and couldn't sing -like really can't sing- that made it again this year.  Who were they?  The directors son and his girlfriend.  Now, do I believe that the director can place anyone he wants on this club that he wants for any reason he sees fit?  Yes.  What I have a problem with is the lengths to which he convinced my son to tryout.  Bigger still was...... The 5 min display of pomp and circumstance.  He felt it necessary to disclose that his son would be trying out but that there were 3 judges so his kid wouldn't automatically make it in and he had to tryout like everybody else and how fair this was yadda, yadda, yadda.  Nepotism is fine and I completely expect it.  All he had to say was "Hey, I'm here after school so my kid is going to be here with me and btw he really wants his girlfriend here too.  Great.  His prerogative.  What frosts my cookies is the 5 min he spent babbling on trying to convince us otherwise.  

J handled it like a champ, and some things just aren't meant to be.  He also worked really hard at overcoming a fear and now knows that this is something he can do.  Great valuable lessons learned.  I just upsets me when people that can't be honest with themselves and with everyone else.  Honesty is the best policy, and in the end, gets you into far less trouble.  Integrity is so undervalued.