“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr.
Yesterday, I saw a quote on a T-shirt that I liked.
“The mind is like a parachute – it functions best when open.”
Obviously, a closed mind works about as well as a closed parachute. They’ll both get you somewhere fast, but you’re going nowhere once you arrive.
The reason this stood out in my mind was I just saw the “Britain’s Got Talent,” episode where a very plain-looking, 47-year old woman – picture a young Mrs. Doubtfire – gave much of the world a wake-up call.
No one was expecting a good performance from Susan Boyle. Cameras panned to audience members who were shaking their heads and laughing, with a look of “Oh no, this is going to be bad” on their faces.
Judges, Piers Morgan and Simon Cowell were smirking. Simon rolled his eyes when Susan said that she wanted to be a professional singer. He was probably expecting another William Hung-type performance.
Everyone had a preconceived notion of Susan’s ability – based solely on her appearance.
When Susan belted out the first line of “I Dreamed a Dream” from Les Miserables, the audience collectively rose to their feet. It was electrifying. It was inspiring. It was emotionally uplifting. The crowd remained standing until the end, and then applauded emphatically.
When Susan took the stage, everyone in the auditorium had closed parachutes. In the span of 10 seconds, their minds – and their mouths – were wide open.
She was the only person in the building that knew she was going to do well. Susan believed in herself, and her conviction produced something great. Her confidence will make her dreams – that she put on hold years ago to care for her ailing mother – come true.
If you haven’t seen the performance, you need too. It will move you to tears and get you to think twice before you judge a person by what they look like.
Posted on
Friday, April 17, 2009
by Sean Taylor Simpson