You Can Make It Happen!

Okay, I'm stealing the title to Stedman's book (Oprah's Boy Friend for those unfamiliar with one of the most successful Sports Management, marketing & Consulting firms CEO's ever.) Actually, when I was younger, this might have been my moto. What happened? Anyway, what I want to write about today, was something my mother reminded me of. When I was younger I always used to amaze and confound people with my abilities. At school, I was the shortarse. The guy everyone else used to beat up and pick on and basically beat up if they were having a hard time at home or with their school work. Yet, amongst all that, I was forever pulling rabbits out of hats. One thing my mother reminded me of, was the fact that I got to play the "Bad Guy" in the school play. At the time, only a few people auditioined for the role, and I was considered the "best" out of a "bad bunch". Not that I was bad in the audition ... in fact, we didnt' even try doing acting in the audition, it really consisted of a chat with the drama teacher, who'd never seen me act. He had, however, seen a few of the other applicants act, and he knew I couldn't be worse than them. My mother was recalling how she came to see the play. It ran for three nights, and my mother came to see me on the second night. My father was reluctantly dragged along. They met with my drama teacher before the actual play. She was really proud of me, because the drama teacher was heaping accolades on me and my acting ability. He admitted, he thought I was going to be absolutely dismal in the role. Yet, somehow I took it, ran with it, and made it my own. He was totally amazed by my ability. Apparently, my fathers reaction was something along the lines of, "Ptthhh! David! That good for nothing! He can't do anything." Anyway, my mother and father saw the play. My father remained unconvinced that there was anything of value in me (which has always been his reaction to anything I've ever done. Be it A's on my report card, or making the state team for American football. Somehow it was never as good as my elder brother's hard earned C's or his ... well, lack of acheivement.) My mother on the other hand was totally amazed, as she had no idea I could at at all. Many people who knew me, commented on how they thought I was the best in the play, as I was rather natural. They said I was the most beleivable because ... well, when I was angry in the play, it was like I was really angry, when I was sad, it was like I was really sad. They felt the character had been brought to life by my performance. Alas, it was lost on my father. Well, his loss anyway. My mother brought this up, because lately I have forever been getting to the final interview, and always being looked over for the jobs I am applying for. Another reason for believing my future is in writing. As a writer, people can't judge me on my looks, or what they think I am capable of. I just write, and they judge me on the content of what I produce. It recalled in me another story. When I was in year six (primary school), they always took the year six classes on a camp. This was for a week. There were usually four dormitories. Two guys, and two girls. Every year, the girls always won the competition for the best dormitory. The first thing they did, before we left, was sort out which people were in each dorm. Then, they elected a dorm captain. My dorm elected ME! YES! ME! The Teachers didn't like the result. They thought I was too short to be a leader. So they tried to get the guys to elect someone else. I stuck to my guns and refused to give up the captaincy. The rest of the guys in the dorm stuck by their vote as well. The teachers had no choice, I was the only person the guys wanted, and they weren't changing their minds. So, I luckily got to be the Dorm Captain. That was the first year a Boy's Dorm actually won the Best Dorm competition. Yes, we beat the girls for being well behaved and CLEANLINESS! [Yes, grade six boys won on Cleanliness against GIRLS! WOW!] It totally amazed my teachers, who never knew I had leadership ability. I also had another person triumph. I won the Best Student award on that trip too. I think that was the first time a guy won it too. WOW! I was not only breaking barriers, I was kicking them down, and taking a few other barriers with it! Yeah, it makes me sound like a real goody two shoes. [Hmm, I did have two shoes! That might have been it!] Fortune wasn't with me completely. On that trip, my team came second in the quizzes. Probably because the loud arguing of Sean Turner and I gave away most of the answers to the other teams. I didn't have as much luck when I was voted vice captain of my school faction though. The teacher decided I was too short, and took the title off me. I find it funny, as that teacher was rather short himself. Still, I had all the responsibility of the Vice Captain and carried it out. Just I didn't have the title. The rest of the team treated me as the Vice Captain, so it wasn't too bad. Just, whenever someone asked who the Vice Captain was, the teacher would say, "We don't have one." Then he'd give me a dirty look, as though he was waiting for me to speak up. There is one thing I did learn for that teacher. Patience is a virtue. Soon, he would be gone from my life, and I would continue. I may not have had the title of Vice Captain that I was justly elected to, but I did the job, and carried out the responsibilty of the role. The teacher could never stop the other members of the team from treating me like the Vice Captain. I think the purpose of my mother bringing the subject up, is that I always seem to find ways around problems. Some people can't think outside the square. For me, there has never been a square, just another problem to be solved. She was just trying to keep me motivated and not allow myself to become depressed. After all, I am the problem solveer of the family. I am the one who has gone up against greater odds than anyone else in the family and survived. I survived being dumped on the streets of Sydney with no more than the clothes on my back. I just don't know when to say die. Just lately, I have tried so hard to get back into IT, in order to earn some badly needed cash. Yet, I keep hitting brick walls. On top of that, I've had others threatening me, and trying to force me into factory work. I didn't go to University to end up in a factory. As regular readers will also know, the factory work I have done has harmed my hands. My hands are one of my most important assets. I am a musician, writer, artist and computer user. Without my hands (or with badly damaged hands), I can't perform in any of my chosen fields. On top of that, if my hands get damaged, I wouldn't be able to work in their preciscious factories either. Some people have got really wrong priorities, especially when it comes to other people. After all, who wouldn't protect their hands. Yet, I a have been threatened if I don't work in these factories. Do they think I am going to blink? Do they think I will back down? No, not I. There has always been more than one way to the square, and if I can't get there one way, I'll damn well take another route. Can I make it happen? You bet I can!