I was watching a show just a minute ago where this gal was talking about always wanting to be a performer. She laughed about being that kid, singing into the hairbrush in front of the mirror. I was that kid too. Some of us are just born attention seekers, I guess.Once while at *blush* band camp...yes band camp...I was given the opportunity to receive a standing ovation. About 250 high school kids were sitting in an auditorium and the famous Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser stood in front of us on the stage talking about how great it feels to be supported and appreciated. He sheepishly asked, "has anyone ever received a standing ovation?" Most of us shook our heads. "Anyone want one to see how it feels?" My hand shot up.
As luck had it, I was sitting in one of the front rows and got called right up. Dr. Tim exited the stage leaving me looking out amongst a sea of faces. I blinked, unsure of what to do. Dr. Tim gave the command and the crowd went wild! Their response was deafening!
They jumped to their feet! They cheered! They whistled! They hooted and hollered! They clapped! They yelled "Bravo!" Despite having done nothing at all, I reacted.
I kissed my hands and blew it out to the crowd. I mouthed, "Thank you, thank you!" I waved. I expressed gratitude for the appreciation. I felt so full of life and energy. I felt like I wanted to do something great for these people. I was ready to take on the world!
Imagine dialing that whole experience down a few notches. Maybe I wouldn't be moved to tears, but appreciation and recognition goes a long way. In fact, small amounts often is probably the ideal situation. So note to self - applaud people in your own way. It's a worthwhile investment!
Now a small note of irony...the image used above is from www.guardian.com.uk in a blog post about how the standing ovation has gotten all too frequent and meaningless. LOL Despite my complete lack of effort put out to receive my own, it still meant something...to me, anyway.
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