A TRUE STORY...PLEASE DO NOT DELETE
At
the prodding of my friends I am writing this story.
My name is Mildred Honor. I am a former elementary school
Music Teacher from Des Moines, Iowa.
I
have always supplemented my income by Teaching Piano
Lessons...Something I have done for over 30 years. During
those years, I found that Children have many
levels of musical ability, and even though I have never had the
prodigy, I have taught some very talented students. However, I
have also had my share of what I call 'Musically
Challenged Pupils.
One
such Pupil being Robby. Robby was 11 years old when his
Mother (a Single Mom) dropped him off for his first Piano
Lesson.
I
prefer that Students (especially Boys) begin at an
earlier age, which I explained to Robby. But Robby
said that it had always been his Mother's Dream to hear him
play the Piano, so I took him as a Student.
At
the end of each weekly Lesson he would always say 'My
Mom's going to hear me Play someday.' But to me, it
seemed hopeless, he just did not have any Inborn Ability.
I only knew his Mother from a distance as she dropped
Robby off or waited in her aged Car to pick him up.
She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in.
Then
one day Robby stopped coming for his Lessons. I
thought about calling him, but Assumed that because of his lack
of Ability he had decided to pursue something else. I was
also glad that he had stopped coming. He was a Bad
Advertisement for my Teaching!
Several
Weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the Students'
homes. To my surprise, Robby (who had received a flyer)
asked if he could be in the Recital. I told him that the
Recital was for current Pupils and that because he had
dropped out, he really did not Qualify.
He
told me that his Mother had been Sick and Unable to take
him to his piano lessons, but that he had been
practicing. 'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to Play,'
he insisted. I don't know what led me to allow him to play in
the Recital - perhaps it was his insistence or maybe
something inside of me saying that it would be all right.
The
night of the Recital came and the high school gymnasium
was packed with Parents, Relatives and Friends. I put
Robby last in the Program, just before I was to come up
and thank all the Students and Play a finishing piece. I
thought that any damage he might do would come at the end
of the Program and I could always salvage his poor performance
through my 'Curtain Closer'.
Well,
the Recital went off without a Hitch, the Students had
been Practicing and it Showed. Then Robby came up on the
stage. His Clothes were Wrinkled and his Hair looked as
though he had run an egg beater through it. 'Why wasn't he
dressed up like the other Students?' I thought. 'Why
didn't his Mother at least make him Comb his Hair for this
Special Night?'
Robby
pulled out the Piano bench, and I was Surprised when he
announced that he had chosen to play Mozart's Concerto No.21
in C Major. I was not prepared for what I heard next.
His fingers were light on the keys, they even danced nimbly on
the Ivories. He went from Pianissimo to Fortissimo,
from Allegro to Virtuoso; his Suspended Chords that Mozart
demands were Magnificent!
Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age.
After
six and a half minutes, he ended in a Grand Crescendo, and
everyone was on their feet in Wild Applause!!! Overcome
and in Tears, I ran up on stage and put my arms around
Robby in Joy.
'I
have never heard you Play like that Robby, how did you do
it? Through the Microphone Robby explained: 'Well,
Miss Honor, Remember I told you that my Mom was sick?
Well, she actually had Cancer and Passed Away this Morning. And
well... she was Born Deaf, so tonight was the first time
she had ever heard me Play, and I wanted to make it
Special.'
There
wasn't a Dry Eye in the house that evening. As
People from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be
placed in to Foster Care, I noticed that even their Eyes
were red and Puffy. I thought to myself then how much
Richer my Life had been for taking Robby as my Pupil.
No,
I have never had a Prodigy, but that night I became a
Prodigy... of Robby. He was the Teacher and I was the
Pupil, for he had taught me the meaning of Perseverance
and Love and Believing in Yourself, and may be even taking
a chance on someone and you didn't know why.
Robby
was Killed years later in the Senseless Bombing of the
Alfred P.Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in
April, 1995.
A
Footnote to the story. If you are thinking about
Forwarding this essage, you are probably wondering which
People on your address list aren't the 'appropriate' Ones to
receive this type of Message. The Person who sent this to
you believes that we can all make a Difference!!!
So
many seemingly Trivial Interactions between two People
present us with a Choice. Do we Act with
Compassion or do
we Pass up that Opportunity.
You
Now Have Two Choices:
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