If you know what you want, it's on its way
Aug. 3rd, 2005 11:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sun_set_bravelyAs long as I can remember, my sister has loved singing. As a little baby, she sang in her crib. As a child, she sang along to ABBA and Christopher Cross in our parents' blue Oldsmobile. At ages five and nine, she and I sat on the carpet of our rooms using our beige Fisher Price tape recorders to tape radio shows that always featured her singing. The next year, she used her new red Fisher Price FM-transmitter microphone to magically sing over the airwaves, her voice blaring out of her black boom box.
My sister was a radio star at the age of six.
She always wanted to be a singer when she grew up. In middle school, she sang along with Broadway musical soundtracks – come to think of it, she still has my copy of Jekyll and Hyde (I don't really want it back). She begged for a karaoke machine back in the mid-90s, and when she got it, she sang the lead on pop hits behind her closed bedroom door. I knew she was probably practicing her dance moves, too. She sang with confidence beyond her years, and with joy that made me secretly smile, even though I was in that painful adolescent phase where I was too cool to admit my younger sister was special.
She loved, absolutely loved the movie "The Thing Called Love," starring Samantha Mathis as a young woman who risks it all to become a successful country singer in Nashville. She also adored Selena, the movie and the singer, and she sang "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" so much that I grew to hate the song. We sang (okay, we still sing) along to the "Newsies" soundtrack. We had an unspoken understanding about our parts in the songs. To this day, she splits off from the melody and sings the soprano role of the distressed mother, and I sing the newsboys' tenor line. Sometimes, I get chills when we harmonize together.
In high school, my sister advanced to the national level with my favorite duet from "Miss Saigon," the song "I Still Believe." She rocked, and when I saw the videotape of the performance, I was proud and sad that I couldn't come see her perform. During those years, she wrote songs in a notebook that I gave her for her birthday, though I never got to hear any of them.
My sister loves American Idol. In college, she'd call me occasionally and nonchalantly tell me that her friends thought she should try out for the show and leave school if she got in. I wasn't brave enough to tell her that she didn't need to be nitpicked by reality show personalities – she had the drive and passion to do it without the gimmick.
For the last eight years, my sister has sworn that she doesn't want to be a singer – it's impractical, it's too hard, it's frivolous. I wondered if she thought my degree in theatre was a waste of time. I wondered where the boisterous voice of our childhood had gone.
About four months ago, she gave me one of the biggest thrills of my life. It was a month before she graduated with a degree in Psychology. I was walking home from the subway when she called on my cell phone and said, "I've decided what I'm going to do with my life."
I held my breath, hoping, and asked, "What?"
She said, "My friend's step-dad has a recording studio in Arizona, and he's willing to give me studio time to record a demo. I'm moving out to California to give it a go."
I hollered, "Whoo-hoo!!", at least on the inside. I'd been waiting for that call for ten years. I knew that fantastic singer wasn't dead; she was just waiting for the right moment to emerge.
My sister graduated from college on May 13, 2005, and the next day, we set out on the road to California. She's still getting acclimated there, finding work that will pay the bills and figuring out all that necessary adult nonsense. But she took a huge step, and I truly believe that the universe rewards that kind of courage. One of my favorite quotes is "Step boldly, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
~ ~ ~
Today is her 23rd birthday. I've recently been revisiting my 23rd year in writing, and it feels like it was just yesterday. But four years have passed, and now my sister is standing in that age -- that wonderful, tricky age right out of college – with dreams in her hands and no road map to lead her there, just like the rest of us. A teacher once said to me, "There is no known path to where you want to go" – which is to say that your path will be unique, and no one in this world, including yourself, can tell you exactly how it will go. Your job is to create the dream, not to know How. The universe will give you that answer, by and by.
When we were growing up, I never considered myself an Older Sister. She projected such an assertive image that I never imagined she needed any kind of sisterly guidance. More often than not, her extroverted nature led her to defend me against the outside world. But recently, she told me that she was inspired by my courage when I stepped out into my dream of a writing career, and that my actions had in some way influenced her decision to try a singing career. Sure, I was flattered, but more than that, I was honored to think that my example could help her along her path.
So for her birthday, I wish that she may travel a challenging yet magical road to her dream life. From a few years down my unique and sometimes bumpy road, I can tell her that it sure as hell won't be easy. In fact, it will be the hardest thing she's ever done. There will be days where she feels hopeless, useless, depressed, exhausted – but, hey, people feel that way even when they're not pursuing their dreams.
She will also have days of sky-high joy. Even if the joy is tiny, even if it's drooping like a baby plant sprouting in the desert heat, it will be there. That joy is what matters, far beyond the fame or fortune her dreams might bring. If she has that joy, she's on the right track, whether she's singing for a crowd of ten or ten thousand.
For this and every birthday, I offer to shield and shelter her dreams with all my energy, to hold them when she's not sure she wants to keep going. Success-full people know that they're going to get clobbered, but they say, "Bring it on." I know my bad-ass sister can dig that attitude. I can't wait to see what fantastic adventures she finds along her way.
~ ~ ~
Happy Birthday![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cntrygrl!
I love you and I'm so proud to be your sister.
My sister was a radio star at the age of six.
She always wanted to be a singer when she grew up. In middle school, she sang along with Broadway musical soundtracks – come to think of it, she still has my copy of Jekyll and Hyde (I don't really want it back). She begged for a karaoke machine back in the mid-90s, and when she got it, she sang the lead on pop hits behind her closed bedroom door. I knew she was probably practicing her dance moves, too. She sang with confidence beyond her years, and with joy that made me secretly smile, even though I was in that painful adolescent phase where I was too cool to admit my younger sister was special.
She loved, absolutely loved the movie "The Thing Called Love," starring Samantha Mathis as a young woman who risks it all to become a successful country singer in Nashville. She also adored Selena, the movie and the singer, and she sang "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" so much that I grew to hate the song. We sang (okay, we still sing) along to the "Newsies" soundtrack. We had an unspoken understanding about our parts in the songs. To this day, she splits off from the melody and sings the soprano role of the distressed mother, and I sing the newsboys' tenor line. Sometimes, I get chills when we harmonize together.
In high school, my sister advanced to the national level with my favorite duet from "Miss Saigon," the song "I Still Believe." She rocked, and when I saw the videotape of the performance, I was proud and sad that I couldn't come see her perform. During those years, she wrote songs in a notebook that I gave her for her birthday, though I never got to hear any of them.
My sister loves American Idol. In college, she'd call me occasionally and nonchalantly tell me that her friends thought she should try out for the show and leave school if she got in. I wasn't brave enough to tell her that she didn't need to be nitpicked by reality show personalities – she had the drive and passion to do it without the gimmick.
For the last eight years, my sister has sworn that she doesn't want to be a singer – it's impractical, it's too hard, it's frivolous. I wondered if she thought my degree in theatre was a waste of time. I wondered where the boisterous voice of our childhood had gone.
About four months ago, she gave me one of the biggest thrills of my life. It was a month before she graduated with a degree in Psychology. I was walking home from the subway when she called on my cell phone and said, "I've decided what I'm going to do with my life."
I held my breath, hoping, and asked, "What?"
She said, "My friend's step-dad has a recording studio in Arizona, and he's willing to give me studio time to record a demo. I'm moving out to California to give it a go."
I hollered, "Whoo-hoo!!", at least on the inside. I'd been waiting for that call for ten years. I knew that fantastic singer wasn't dead; she was just waiting for the right moment to emerge.
My sister graduated from college on May 13, 2005, and the next day, we set out on the road to California. She's still getting acclimated there, finding work that will pay the bills and figuring out all that necessary adult nonsense. But she took a huge step, and I truly believe that the universe rewards that kind of courage. One of my favorite quotes is "Step boldly, and mighty forces will come to your aid."
~ ~ ~
Today is her 23rd birthday. I've recently been revisiting my 23rd year in writing, and it feels like it was just yesterday. But four years have passed, and now my sister is standing in that age -- that wonderful, tricky age right out of college – with dreams in her hands and no road map to lead her there, just like the rest of us. A teacher once said to me, "There is no known path to where you want to go" – which is to say that your path will be unique, and no one in this world, including yourself, can tell you exactly how it will go. Your job is to create the dream, not to know How. The universe will give you that answer, by and by.
When we were growing up, I never considered myself an Older Sister. She projected such an assertive image that I never imagined she needed any kind of sisterly guidance. More often than not, her extroverted nature led her to defend me against the outside world. But recently, she told me that she was inspired by my courage when I stepped out into my dream of a writing career, and that my actions had in some way influenced her decision to try a singing career. Sure, I was flattered, but more than that, I was honored to think that my example could help her along her path.
So for her birthday, I wish that she may travel a challenging yet magical road to her dream life. From a few years down my unique and sometimes bumpy road, I can tell her that it sure as hell won't be easy. In fact, it will be the hardest thing she's ever done. There will be days where she feels hopeless, useless, depressed, exhausted – but, hey, people feel that way even when they're not pursuing their dreams.
She will also have days of sky-high joy. Even if the joy is tiny, even if it's drooping like a baby plant sprouting in the desert heat, it will be there. That joy is what matters, far beyond the fame or fortune her dreams might bring. If she has that joy, she's on the right track, whether she's singing for a crowd of ten or ten thousand.
For this and every birthday, I offer to shield and shelter her dreams with all my energy, to hold them when she's not sure she wants to keep going. Success-full people know that they're going to get clobbered, but they say, "Bring it on." I know my bad-ass sister can dig that attitude. I can't wait to see what fantastic adventures she finds along her way.
~ ~ ~
Happy Birthday
cntrygrl!I love you and I'm so proud to be your sister.
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![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 04:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 04:26 pm (UTC)HIPPO BIRDIES. hope you don't mind.
she is lucky to have you for a big
sister!~paul
no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 04:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 05:15 pm (UTC)HIPPO BIRDIES, TWO EWES!
HIPPO BIRDIES, DEAR (name)!
HIPPO BIRDIES, TWO EWES!
picture card with appropriate silly pictures!
~paul
no subject
Date: 2005-08-03 05:06 pm (UTC)Thank you!!!
Date: 2005-08-03 06:39 pm (UTC)Re: Thank you!!!
Date: 2005-08-03 08:25 pm (UTC)Love you lots... Robin
no subject
Date: 2005-08-04 01:10 am (UTC)