She's Got Moxie

When our daughter was a freshman in high school, we encouraged her to audition for a role in her high school play. She had always expressed—since she was a toddler—interest in drama, be it in commercials, TV…or on our kitchen floor with some antics she had invented on her own.


So her lack of interest in auditioning for her school play, based on the fact that “only seniors” are allowed to be the lead, and “if I can’t be the lead, I don’t want to be in it” was met with a gentle rebuke on my part of just how presumptuous (arrogant?) that attitude was.


“You need to work yourself up to the lead, hon.You can’t just expect to be given the lead role until you’ve paid your dues for the three years leading up to senior year” was my motherly advice.


Undaunted, she stood her ground and, to my amazement, would truly have rather sat in the audience and watched the play than been in it with a minor role.


Our only daughter has always had a singular focus on what she wants. Like a bull in a china closet, she sets her eye on a goal and then just busts through until she gets it.


A couple of years ago, she set her sights on the Jonas Brothers. Literally and without reservation. They became a young teen girl’s obsession, one which we thought would quickly pass. But oh no. Every song was memorized. Every performance recorded. Every tune downloaded, poster hung, t-shirt bought.


Her dream had been, from the moment she laid eyes on them, to one day meet them. Either shake their hands or get their autographs or sit close enough at a concert to get within eye range.


So when she found out last month that MTV was putting on a contest for the Jonas Brother’s #1 fans in the Tri-State area, she knew she had to enter. She insisted that she was, indeed, their #1 fan. And this might be, after all, her best shot of achieving her life dream.


The contest called for her to gather her BFF’s and shoot a short video that captured how they were their #1 fans and why they should win the contest. A whirlwind of activities—amidst finals, travel volleyball, babysitting and violin lessons (homework?)—resulted in them submitting their video on time and earning a place in the MTV studios last weekend. She and her two also-Jonas-Brothers-#1-fans-best friends threw themselves into the project with abandon. Knocked themselves out. Bought adorable outfits accented with hot pink tights and lime green Converse hightops for the big day when they would hang out at the studios hoping to enter the finals.


Contest rules prevent me from going any further. But if you’d like to see how the story ends, please look for details at the end of this newsletter.


Bottom line: a singular focus requires vision unlike anything anyone else will hold for you. It requires gritting your teeth when the going gets tough, and dusting the dirt off your jeans when you fall on your butt. It requires holding your head high when everyone else tells you you’re nuts. And just sticking through it when the odds are stacked completely against you.


It usually results in several detours, U-turns and yield curves along the way, throwing you off path when you least expect it. It also typically comes with a “death of vision” before the story is fully told. Just when you think you are close to finishing the deal, a major door gets slammed in your face.


Our daughter’s case involved all of this. But it’s also a story of not quitting before the miracle.


Perhaps you’re there right now. Working at something that looks hopeless. That’s against all odds. You’re down and out. Broke and broken. Ready to throw in the towel.


I’d invite you to give it just a little bit more time. Get through this week. Rent Bottle Shock on cable; it’s a story of grit and grind and falling off the horse and persevering when the odds are completely stacked against you.


Or tune in to MTV on Monday night, February 23 at 6:00 PM to see how my daughter’s dream played out.


Until next week, sending all my very best,


Carolina