A Birthday, Karaoke and a Slice of Epiphany Pie

Originally posted on the Los Angeles Rants and Raves section of Craig's List on Sept. 14, 2007.

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Last night I headed out to a good friend's birthday celebration where drinks, conversation and some good old fashioned karaoke were on the agenda.

The drinks were excellent, and it was great catching up with people that I haven't seen in in a while. But the thing that really blew me away and is still strong in my sleep deprived brain this morning was one of the karaoke singers.

This girl had a voice that was simply phenomenal. I got chills listening to her belt out song after song, and I could only marvel at how effortless it all seemed for her.

I chatted briefly with her in between sets; she runs her own business and has no aspirations of ever pursuing singing as a career. When I asked her why she smiled and said very matter of factly

"I'm xx years old and, well, not exactly small."

It's rather disheartening to think that such a gift is going to go unappreciated by most of the world simply because this lady doesn't fit into the mold that so many have been brainwashed into thinking is the only shape that talent can have. Yes, she was older than the coveted 18-24 yrs old and she was heavy, and I'll assume that she may have tried to break into the industry but was met with such a wall of resistance because of her size and age that she simply decided it wasn't worth the battle.

I know that tossing this out into the maelstrom that is R&R is a lot like pissing into the wind, but I just gotta say that I had a bit of a realization last night that I don't think was totally alcohol induced; everyone of us has something unique to offer this little mudball we call home- it's a shame that so many never look past the color of skin, the age, or the size of the body to see whatever jewel might be hidden inside. I have to admit I'm guilty of it from time to time; last night was a real eye opener from which I must certainly try to glean some wisdom.

sigh...

ok, I'm done. Time to drink a monster and try to get these cobwebs out of my head; you may return to the regular daily dose of hatred hurling.