As we go through our days we experience moments. We wake up, brush our teeth, eat breakfast and do whatever it is we tend to do in our daily routines. Much like these moments, we have ones that have been happening our entire lives, ones that have led us to where we are now, at this exact point in time. Now I’ll admit it, as I look back on my life, there are choices I’ve made that I have regretted, we all have them. I’m on a completely different path than I ever imagined myself being on. It was not until recently that I discovered how much each of those moments and choices mattered, and how much I truly needed them to end up where I am right now, writing this article. Now bear with me as I tell my life story, I have a point I promise.
Growing up I was always into sports, and if you know me now, though I do like so stay in shape, I am not into sports anymore. Swimming and volleyball were huge parts of my life for a very long time. Though I loved it, I saw a lot of my friends performing in plays and playing instruments and I was jealous that I could not do any of that. When I was around 17 I hurt my shoulder and was unable play as much as I would have hoped. I took this unfortunate event and used it as a way to explore my options, see what else I could maybe be good at. I used singing lessons as a way to get over my stage fright, I took interest in theater, began to listen and let myself be on the inside rather than the outside looking in. Slowly but surely I developed a love for the arts. This led me to January 2016 when I saw Deaf West’s Spring Awakening during their limited Broadway run. It was not my first Broadway show, but for some reason, at this particular one, something clicked and I knew that was where I belonged. Fast forward to today, I am a Theater major applying for internships in that world. I want to help inspire others with Theater the way it has done for me and whether that be through writing, advertising, stage managing, I just want it to be my life.
So if I lost you, let get back on track. For some time I regretted not developing a passion for theater much earlier in my life, because I could have used it much to my advantage. Now, instead of regretting, I am looking at it as a positive. If it were not for sports, I may not have had that small injury to my shoulder and I would not have looked for something to fill the void that was left vacant when I wasn’t able to swim anymore. If I did not experience what I did growing up, I may not have had the knowledge that I have now as well as the drive that has led me to the path I’m on as we speak because I had to find it all on my own. Now, as I sit here on the train to go volunteer at a Broadway convention in NYC, I give you one piece of advice. Never regret the choices that you have made. You may get hurt, physically and maybe even emotionally, but all of those things play the largest roles in discovering what you are meant to do, and who you are meant to be. Just be you fam, that’s more than enough.
“It’s our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities” -J.K. Rowling