the competition

today i have the pleasure to be a part of a 3 bus caravan taking a high school band, color guard and drum line to a regional competition. i have taken these guys before and they are very talented and led by some gifted people. every time i have taken them somewhere, they always win. no, it's not because of me!!! they are consistently that good. their leadership is well qualified to lead. and they do it well.
i was able to take my son with me on this trip. most of my trips he wants to go. because of school, he obviously can't. being a saturday and his interest in music, i felt this would be a good time to show him an option he will have when he enters middle school next year.
when this group travels, it is a fairly large entourage. 3 buses, an equipment truck (mid-size with hydraulic lift), another truck to transport the kawasaki mule, another truck for equipment, and a host of parents and helpers dedicated to making sure all goes smoothly and bring along misc. supplies and needed items. they are well equipped and well prepared. i can not imagine the expense these parents go to. they perform quite a bit so the costs are several thousands of dollars. i took them last year part of the way to orlando. the results they get are well worth the expense.
when i played in my school band, we were lucky to play at football games. we did not compete. now kids perform all over the country. the experience they are getting will go with them for the rest of their lives. i am priveledged to be able to be a small part of this experience and thankful to have the opportunity to watch them receive their rewards.
we hear the news about kids involved in gang activity, drugs and lots of other things. we have become so used to what once was abnormal that we miss the goodness most of our youth display. not every kid is in a gang. not all of them do drugs. because of media we come to believe that if one is, they all are. this is a good group who chose a different path and even if you choose not to see the good, it still exists. you are missing something. these kids always are polite and respectful to me. they greet me with a sincere "hi" and as they get off they actually say "thank you". most of them will tell me they are glad i took them and they hope i take them again. goodness is out there and you may not have to look as hard as you think. take those jaded glasses off and look again. it's not as bad as you think.
until next time...