Spotlight-induced adrenaline, the scent of hairspray, the feeling of warm water with honey and lemon(every singer’s secret to success) gliding down my throat, became the central aspects of my daily life at a very young age, and pursued me well into my early highschool years. I felt blessed to have found my passion so early on-and I kept expanding upon it until my heart beated in 4/4 time signature and I harmonized with everything-from radio commercials to the groans of students at school that even relatively had a pitch. Music had always been my very effective coping method for any distress, sadness, or unpleasant emotions, channeling them into the melodies until any negativity had dissipated entirely, until freshman year. Crippling depression
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I had been doing shows with an organization called Tapestry theater, which allows special needs youth to star in musicals with the support of an understudy/mentor, and although I loved doing Tapestry, I had not yet found the mentee that would revive my hope. I had noticed Cameron, a small, rambunctious, middle school boy with epilepsy and autism, during the winter show, and felt such a strong connection to him regardless of our few interactions. Cameron was widely known as the most difficult mentee to have, and every one of his previous mentors had become so frustrated that they begged to be paired with someone different the next show. Cameron was constantly getting yelled at, by a mentor, mentee, or director, regardless of what he did. He continually was getting shot down, which prompted him to ask “Is this okay?” after everything that he said or did. I was so drawn to cameron, I wanted to treat him in a way that would encourage him to have faith in himself, and I felt so sad after seeing what being constantly criticized was doing to him. So, I immediately signed up to be his mentor for the …show more content…
My passion for others, especially Cameron, helped me remain reliable and unshaken when my loved ones needed my help the most. I still sometimes hold them as they cry in my arms, and I can support them through their times of difficulty as they did mine. Cameron taught me innumerable lessons in patience, love, empathy, discipline, respect, and leadership, but he most importantly became my purpose. While the feeling of belting out a solo in my sparkling blue choir dress is one full of passion and fulfillment, how I feel while watching Cameron sing his solo is so gratifying that it is incomparable to any joy I have ever felt. He has grown so much as an actor and a person, and knowing I contributed to that overwhelms me with so much pride and gratefulness. I don’t think of myself as helping Cameron in comparison to the great extent to which he helped me. To find my purpose in life in the midst of so much pain and hopelessness altered the very course of my path. I’ve reverted to the compassionate person I had thought was forever lost, and every goal I have is tied to my central purpose: to help others, especially Cameron. Simplicity in the form of a tight hug or a silly selfie featuring Cameron has the capacity of such extensive amounts of healing. For me,
I had been doing shows with an organization called Tapestry theater, which allows special needs youth to star in musicals with the support of an understudy/mentor, and although I loved doing Tapestry, I had not yet found the mentee that would revive my hope. I had noticed Cameron, a small, rambunctious, middle school boy with epilepsy and autism, during the winter show, and felt such a strong connection to him regardless of our few interactions. Cameron was widely known as the most difficult mentee to have, and every one of his previous mentors had become so frustrated that they begged to be paired with someone different the next show. Cameron was constantly getting yelled at, by a mentor, mentee, or director, regardless of what he did. He continually was getting shot down, which prompted him to ask “Is this okay?” after everything that he said or did. I was so drawn to cameron, I wanted to treat him in a way that would encourage him to have faith in himself, and I felt so sad after seeing what being constantly criticized was doing to him. So, I immediately signed up to be his mentor for the …show more content…
My passion for others, especially Cameron, helped me remain reliable and unshaken when my loved ones needed my help the most. I still sometimes hold them as they cry in my arms, and I can support them through their times of difficulty as they did mine. Cameron taught me innumerable lessons in patience, love, empathy, discipline, respect, and leadership, but he most importantly became my purpose. While the feeling of belting out a solo in my sparkling blue choir dress is one full of passion and fulfillment, how I feel while watching Cameron sing his solo is so gratifying that it is incomparable to any joy I have ever felt. He has grown so much as an actor and a person, and knowing I contributed to that overwhelms me with so much pride and gratefulness. I don’t think of myself as helping Cameron in comparison to the great extent to which he helped me. To find my purpose in life in the midst of so much pain and hopelessness altered the very course of my path. I’ve reverted to the compassionate person I had thought was forever lost, and every goal I have is tied to my central purpose: to help others, especially Cameron. Simplicity in the form of a tight hug or a silly selfie featuring Cameron has the capacity of such extensive amounts of healing. For me,