Blast from the Past

What music I am listening to: Renee Fleming, Mozart Arias. Ms. Fleming is the reigning Lyric Soprano of our Day.

As I get to know my classmates better, I find it fascinating to learn about eachother's past lives; that is, the lives we had Pre-seminary, Pre-John Calvin, Pre-Destination (just kidding on that last one!). You know how when you are a kid and you can't imagine your mom being anyone else other than your mom? Obviously, your mother wasn't always your mother-- she had friends, relationships, and a whole other life before she was your mother. She may have had an entirely fascinating existence full of espionage and intrigue, but, as far as you were concerned, she was just your Mom, the one who tucked you into bed at night and wiped schmutz off your chin with her spit and a kleenex.

The same goes for my friends here at seminary. I know them purely in the context of seminary life and it is often hard for me to imagine them in any other sphere. Whenever someone brings up anecdotes from their "past live(s)," I sometimes have difficulty placing them out my frame of reference.

Of course, the same goes for me-- I have had several colorful "past lives" that few people here really know about. Most know that I was a music major, but few know that I was once on my way to being a professional opera singer. For most of my undergraduate career, all I could dream about was winning the audition for the Metropolitan Opera and one day be the preeminent Mezzo-Soprano of the day. One of my greatest memories from my "aspiring diva" days was the time when I performed with the Amarillo Symphony on one of the Concerts for Young People. I dressed up in my finest "Diva Dresses" and sang an aria for an audience of about 2,000 elementary school children. The experience was exhilerating because I am a passionate believer in exposing children to the arts. Several weeks later, I received a packet of letters from some of the kids which expressed their appreciation. Here is one: [note- to preserve authenticity, I have reproduced the letter in its original state, spelling errors and all]

"Dear Opra Singer,
I thought that you did wonderful. Maybe some of my friends didn't like you but I loved your perfomance. I wish that you could teach me how to sing like that. When I grow up I want to be just like you. I hop that we could talk in person sometime.

Yours truly, Breanna

P.S . Please write back or come over to my house sometime. You'll love my family. You'll probally love my dogs to."

Ah- the honesty of youth! Her letter, along with the letters of her peers which are similar in content, continues to inspire me and remind me that we are to be an example to others. It is both empowering and humbling to be an example for someone. What little Breanna doesn't know or see is that I, Meredith Kemp, am not always a good person. I am neurotic and tend to be a little klutzy. But Breanna doesn't care- she saw Opera Meredith and thus saw something inspiring.

How often do we look in the mirror and see only our imperfection when, in reality, others look from far away and see nothing but beauty?