JUST SAY YES! by Donna M. Cramer
I haven’t done a blog post in a while, but this warrants one.
Thursday night we had tickets to the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
It seemed like it would be an entertaining show and a fun night out.
While we waited for the house to open, I talked with my companions.
A young cast member approached us and asked if we would like to be in the lottery to be a guest speller on stage.
We were all laughing, and my friends suggested me, as I am known to be good at spelling and love words (Hello, I write books!)
“Yes,” I said and gave her my information.
Now I could have answered differently.
I could have said no for many reasons:
I have a brain injury.
I don’t walk very fast, and my seat was in the balcony.
I might look stupid.
Maybe that’s something for younger people to do.
I don’t know exactly what will happen.
The list could go on.
But I didn’t say no; I said yes!
My name was called, and I made my very long walk to the stage.
Four audience members had been chosen.
I thought we might spell a couple of words and then exit.
No!
I was on stage with the actors for approximately 30 minutes.
The others and I were part of the show, not just standing and spelling.
It was an experience I will never forget.
Something like that goes quickly and blurs somewhat.
Yes, I did spell words standing at the microphone facing the audience. I remember spelling rosacea and spontaneous. I spelled muntjac wrong and had to exit. It’s a type of deer that makes a dog-like barking noise if you’re interested.
However, before exiting, I participated in musical numbers with the actors while seated, and then, in a whirlwind of activity, I danced around the stage holding hands with an actor, hoping I was doing it right.
That number ended with him singing and me shouting into the microphone, yelling, ‘PANDEMONIUM’.
When I spelled muntjac wrong, another actor serenaded me with a goodbye song. They escorted me offstage with a juice box.
Now, you may know that having four audience members on stage is part of this show. I and my companions did not.
What an experience! It is something I will never forget!
So the take-home message of this is JUST SAY YES!
You may not know what will happen.
Jump out there and take the risk.
It might change your life, or at least give you a good story to tell at parties.
Saying no or I can’t puts you right where you have always been.
I never dreamed I would be on stage, but I was because I said yes.
I put myself out there.
So do it. Just say YES!
Who knows, you could end up screaming pandemonium into a microphone in front of a roomful of people, too.
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