Childhood Stardom Revisited

I was a childhood singing star. I know it. My mom knows it. And I certainly have made sure that my wife and kids are quite aware of it.

In the four years that I was in the Wesley Choir at Concord Methodist Church our beloved director, Mrs. Durst, knew that, if she wants a successful production, she needs to put me front and center.

So naturally, when the time came to fill the roles for David and Goliath, the decision was an easy one.

I enthralled the crowds with my portrayal of a simple shepherd boy who dared to have the courage to face the neighboring town’s bully with a simple slingshot. They cheered when, with my first shot, I slayed the bearded giant (my less-talented but much taller brother was cast as his bottom half) and he tumbled to the ground in agony. The others in the cast sang along as I gave all credit to God Almighty. I related well to David, and it showed, because we both were apparently given great gifts from God himself.

The production was so spectacular that we performed it at BOTH services as well as three local nursing homes. One facility was so large, they broadcast it on their own in-house cable channel so residents can enjoy my singing as well even if the crowds were too large in their chapel.

The thought of these amazing pre-teen experiences has helped shaped and mold the accountant that I am today. Its incredible to know that, at such a young age, I was able to bring such joy and happiness to so many thousands of people; even those at deaths door in the nursing homes. What is perhaps most remarkable is that I didn't parlay this success to a career in music.

We have long since moved away from the town, but I am sure that they still discuss my tenure in the Wesley Choir to this day.

So, imagine the excitement and sense of pride that engulfed me when a package containing old videos of our performances came from (the late great) Mrs. Durst's daughter. She wrote that she was cleaning out her mother’s attic and “needed someone to take them”.

I found it difficult to wait until the family was home. I wanted them to savor every moment of each and every performance along with me. I looked forward to showing them that, with hard work and dedication, they too can be a success at an early age.

Sure, they put up a bit of a fuss. I lured them to the living room with popcorn, cold drinks, and some gentle assurances that their weekend will be quite spartan without their full attention to my newly treasured videos.

I didn't expect the video quality to be exceptional. Even our old Disney videos look and sound awful on a VHS tape compared to today's digital technology.

Whoever was doing the filming apparently wasn't well trained and was lacking a quality camera. Perhaps it was filmed during a rehearsal because there were very few people in the pews. I did, however, spot my parents and younger sister in the front row.

I didn't remember how poor the costumes were. I never would have wore my Converse basketball shoes with my shepherd boy tunic had there been a quality seamstress in the church rolls. I certainly didn't recall a lone piano player as my only accompaniment.

When my time came to sing my iconic song “I’m Coming to the Battle”, my home audience busted out in laughter. There was no question that the quality of my voice was not projecting properly through our apparent outdated sound system at church. Either that, or the tape has aged over time due to apparent continuous usage. Regardless, its a shame that my family was unable to hear the real melodic quality of my voice that I so vividly recall.

To my delight, my kids wanted to see the rest of the videos. They even asked if they could show them to their friends. They were gleefully updating their statuses on their Facebook and Twitter accounts. “Classic”, they called them.

Next up, “The Good Samaritan”.

Yes Sir, I was a proud Daddy that day.