| Never give up your dream |
 Never give up on your dreamSome time ago I sat down one Saturday evening to watch the programme Britain’s Got Talent. I am not an avid fan, but it had been a busy week and was a time of some much-needed relaxation. The rest of my family was out, so I settled on the sofa with a cup of coffee and the essential bar of chocolate to watch people from all walks of life: some with amazing talent – and some not! I went to refill my cup and came back into the room to see a lady come onto the stage and introduce herself as Susan Boyle. The reaction of the judges and audience was compelling. The panel of judges gave each other exasperated ‘Oh, no – what next?’ looks. People tittered as she told them that her dream was to sing in front of a large audience and become a professional singer. It seemed that they had written her off before they had even given her a chance to perform. Ridicule Susan’s ninety-second opportunity to achieve her ambition was, in the minds of her audience, a dream that was going nowhere. But almost before she’d finished the first line of the song, the atmosphere in the auditorium turned electric. I watched as the expressions on the audience’s faces changed. They were engrossed. All traces of cynicism had disappeared. The panel of judges sat with open mouths. These people, who had not only seemed to patronise this lady, but ridicule her, were now being blown away by her beautiful voice. I have thought so much about that evening. One of the judges told Susan that they had laughed as she first came out onto the stage. He went on to add that no one was laughing at her now, but I remember thinking what an awful thing to say and hear. I wept. She had a dream I wonder why it is that Susan moved me to tears. I think I know the answer. It is because she had a dream in her heart. And yet, when she walked onto the stage, the looks on people’s faces said it all: ‘You’re too old’; ‘You don’t look like a star’; ‘You won’t have much of a voice’. In other words, ‘You have no right to your dream’. But her vision held firm and when Susan began to sing, it wasn’t just the melody that came out, but her dream. She had kept believing the dream was still possible. Somehow she mustered the courage to apply to the programme, knowing that failure and even humiliation could follow. And, having applied, she went through the audition, then finally walked on to that stage – and saw the raised eyebrows, the cynicism and the patronising looks. She took it all on and just did the one thing in life she knew in her heart she could really do well: she opened her mouth and sang. And I cried as well because in some ways Susan was singing not just for herself, but for everyone who’d ever been told that they had no right to their dream – yet had kept on going. I’m not surprised that millions of people watched that incredible event on ‘YouTube’ and I don’t care what people say about her now. Nobody can take away that night from her – or from us. By Dianne Parsons Used with permission from www.careforthefamily.org.uk |
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