When I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to be a teacher and a singer. Playing “school” with docile stuffed animals in a row was a common occurrence. Teaching is also in my bloodline, so it was almost inevitable that I would end up becoming an educator. However, equal to this passion was that of music. Singing “Hotel California” at the age of three in the back of my father’s '72 Chevelle, made me realize there is something to this thing called “music”. It made me feel excited, feel alive! Family members endured listening to Mickey’s Disco album, while I performed each song with the enthusiasm that only a five-year-old can. Purchasing Blondie’s, “The Tide is High,” with my first allowance gave me a sense of pride. I loved this thing called “music”. I wanted to be a singer. But something happened along the way…
I began to be “shaped” by what others thought, rather than by what I felt in my heart. Realizing that there seemed to be certain “rules” as to what a woman should look like or sound like in this career choice of pursuing music as a livelihood. I began to doubt. Elders with words of caution preached that the chances of having a career in the music industry were unpredictable. Yet, I knew there was still this passion, this love inside of me. So, allowing fear to be my ruler, I tucked my little songwriting self away, and chose to go the “safe” route and go with a stable career in education. Teaching was something that I was good at, working with children was rewarding, but a huge part of me would remain hidden. Until now…
This will be my fourteenth year of teaching, and it has been incredible journey filled with inspiration, filled with feeling the struggles of my students, and filled with the joy of inspiring others to do what they feel passionate about. Yet, it began to surface that I was a humongous hypocrite! Here I am telling my students to do what they love in life, and I am not doing that myself. I could no longer contain my passion. I began to write my own songs again, and have been doing so for the past four years trying to make up for lost time. Aging can be a liberating thing, because you begin to care less about what others think of you, or what their opinions are. Recently, I got the nerve up to audition for my city’s TedX talks. I performed an original song and told “my story”. Did it turn out to be Cinderella story? Well, I was not chosen to perform as one of the TedX speakers, but I was offered the chance to perform at the after party celebration. I was thrilled and thankful for that opportunity. It was me not being a hypocrite for once, and finally practicing what I preach! Who knows where my music will lead me, but at least I can rest assured that my songwriting will be a part of my life from now on. I now realize that life is unpredictable and that is what makes it beautiful!! Hold fast to your dreams!
~Laura
