So I was at this talent show that my kids were participating in. It was a talent show for all ages. So not only were young kids showing off their talents and they were inhibited by their lack of talent to go up on stage. Nothing stopped them, they never imagined being bad as a deterrent for not sharing. Me, I’m different, probably like many other people. I’m too shy to go on stage. Besides, I’ve already prejudged my material as something not good enough to share. Maybe it isn’t, but maybe not caring is better. Still, I did care. Beyond the young kids, ten and under, there were teenagers, adults and even retired people sharing their talent. I was knocked off my feet by a few of the performances. In fact, there was this man who serenaded his wife with a song he wrote for her 35 years earlier. It really was written incredibly well and he played the rights chords on the guitar to make the song catchy. It was so catchy in fact I realized a lot more people have talent than the ones who you hear on the radio or see on TV. I had always wanted to write but didn’t do it for a lot of reasons too many too discuss for now. So I was inspired by the whole effort of the talent show. Why couldn’t I be one of those people up on that stage? Maybe, not literally but figuratively in the sense that I could share a talent I have or an interest that’s creative. Then this man, who had to be at least 65, did a speech with a teenager. They introduced themselves before starting. 

He mentioned he was a retired English teacher from essays help online and then they spoke of the speech the two of them were about to deliver. It was phenomenal. He delivered a cadence at just the right time, holding your attention. His resonated with me as well. I don’t know what it was. I suppose someone who spoke wisely. Hard to say for certain. He just had that ‘it’ that I was looking for. It clinched it for me with the way he delivered the end of the speech. Pardon the pun, but it left you speechless. So I was determined to talk to him at the end of the talent show. He sat next to his wife, smiling from watching the other acts perform. I kept an eye on him like he was a school girl who I wanted to talk to but didn’t have the guts. The difference was that I did have the guts on this night. As the talent show ended, scads of people approached him: wishing them well. I waited my time. People were still coming up to him as he was leaving. He pulled open a door first escorting his wife out then himself. I had thoughts of giving up. At this point it was going to be awkward, stopping him and asking him to be my mentor. It just seemed odd. I bust through the doors, jogged a few steps and stopped as they turned to face me. “Mr. Brown, I have a crazy favor to ask of you.” I remember he had the most quizzical look on his face. “Just like everyone else in there. I think you gave a great speech. I didn’t come to tell you that.” Sadly, I was out of shape and paused to catch my breath. “I’m more interested that you were an English teacher. Plus, well, that and your great speech giving ability. I was wondering if you would mentor me with my writing?” He looked at his wife, she smiled and nodded. Mr. Brown eyed me up. “How about you come over to my place next Thursday at, say, 7:00.” We shook hands. “You can call me, Gary.”