District Choir (PB)

Wednesday through Saturday was District Chorus, so I thought I would tell you all about my week. 

On Wednesday, seven of us loaded ourselves into a rickety school van, which is pretty much a box on wheels. The ride was pretty scary in the nasty roads that awaited us about halfway through our drive. Once we finally arrived we made a stop at a local sub shop called The Whole Darn Thing. It was delicious! 

After we had finished our meals, we loaded ourselves back into the van. Now we were on the way to the auditions at Meadville High School. I was so nervous. I honestly thought I was going to vomit. After we warmed up and were given the room we were going to be staying in while we were waiting to audition, we were given our audition number. I was audition number twenty five for the soprano ones... Out of twenty five. I was really nervous all ready, and now I was last to audition. Ugh. 

After my audition, it was running through my head on repeat. What could I have done better? Maybe I should have had better dynamics throughout the audition pieces. The entire rest of the night I was questioning my audition.  I was my own worst enemy.  I was left to go to my host family and get as good of a nights sleep as I could. 

When the host families first started arriving, I had my fingers crossed that I would get a really nice host family with a very clean house. But, of course, when my host family showed up, the woman had pajama pants on, which can only mean two things: she works third shift and just woke up, or she did not live the nicest, cleanest life. Option b was the correct option, unfortunately. Their house was dirty and I found a moldy cheerio on the window sill. That was pretty gross. Long story short, the three Bradford girls that were together decided that we were going to stick it out in our not-so-nice house. 

Day 2: The day that our placement would be announced. We practiced for an hour and a half before they announced the chairs. I was so rediculously nervous. I probably looked like I was going to throw up. When they finally announced the first soprano section I was extremely relieved when they announced that I was fourth chair out of twenty five first sopranos no was so excited! The rest of districts could be fun now that I knew my fate. 

That night the Bradford girls, including me, were moved out of our nasty house into a very nice, clean house. I was very thankful. 

The rest of my week was spent in extremely long practices with a lot of very interesting people. On Friday night we all went to a movie and on Saturday, we had our concert. I had a really great time and am very excited for regions next month! 

A Role Model Lost on Earth Is an Angel Gained in Heaven (PB)

This past week, a very important man that attended my church for years passed away. His name was Fran McCoy and he would do any thing for anyone and always put his own issues on the back-burner when you needed help.  Fran was a great guy and will be greatly missed, but upon the loss of Fran, it got me thinking.  What does it really mean to leave a legacy?  I mean, Fran left one, didn't he?  I looked up the definition of legacy, and here is what it said:

anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor

 I thought that this was a really vague and boring definition.  It does not truly define a legacy.  A legacy is so much more than that.  I wanted a better definition.  I knew that a legacy was more than just a simple definition.  Something with a little more depth.  Something that will last forever, no matter how the earthly trends change.  So, to find the true definition of a legacy, I looked to Fran McCoy's life. 

Fran lived a good life.  He had owned a business and eventually retired from that.  He was always helping people.  If the church doors were open, Fran was there.  Everyone knew him, even if they only went to the Sawyer Church once.  So, now that Franny is gone, it, sort of, feels like there is a hole in our church.  Like something is missing.  Obviously, Fran was loved by many.  Everyone looked up to him and took his advice to heart.  Fran left a legacy that will forever live on. 

So, why, or how, did Fran leave this legacy.  First of all, he never had a negative word to say about anyone.  That is something that is not able to be said about very many people.  Fran was always smiling and always encouraging.  People remember people like that.  When someone is that kind and thoughtful towards you, you don't just forget that person.  That person lives on in your memories.

Another way that Fran left his legacy was by being content with what he had.  He never complained.  He lived a happy and simple life.  He was happy with who he was and because of that he was able to live an enriching and rewarding life. 

So, I think that is how you leave a legacy.  You are a positive person and are content with who you are and the life you are living.  After discovering these things, I decided that a legacy is not something that just happens, it is something that is made over time.  It is a little piece of you that lives on in the hearts of everyone you have touched over the years after you are gone.  Whether it is a memory someone has of you, or a piece of advice you once gave someone, it still means something and that is what a legacy is.

Thanks Fran, for the legacy you left.