My day started off pretty bad. I was woken up eariler than expected due to a pointless text, my dog decided to run off when I let him outside, and (most importantly) I recieved my AP chemistry scores. They weren't good...at all. I worked so hard in that class and now it is all for nothing. I don't recieve college credit (which sucks since I am declaring a double major and I need all the room in my schedule I can get) nor did I need the class to graduate from high school. So I put myself into all that stressing and work for absolutely nothing. Needless to say I was not a happy person, so I did what I always do when I am not feeling too hot; I watched a movie. Along with the horrible AP scores, the movie I had ordered also arrived in the mail today. An Alan Rickman movie, my snuggie, and a nice cup of hot chocolate in my new Beauty and the Beast mug would be enough to cheer me up a little. Luckily for me, this movie cheered me up a lot.
Since the movie Something the Lord Made is not a popular movie but had a huge effect on the feeling I am experiencing right now, it's probably best if I attempt to explain the plot of the movie so you understand where I am coming from. The movie is set in the mid-late 1900s, during the times of segregation. A young black carpenter, Vivien Thomas, who was recently laid-off from his job goes to work as a lab technician for the ambitous Dr. Blalock. Dr. Blalock is seeking a cure for traumatic shock and begins to notice the interest Vivien has for the medical world and his experiment. Over a period of weeks, Dr. Blalock teaches Viven and lets him assist in his experiments and together they find the cure. After a few years, the pair continues on to John Hopkins, where Dr. Blalock is the new Head of Surgery and has a new goal on his mind. He wishes to cure "blue babies," which would require heart surgery, something that was not believed possible during this time. While Dr. Blalock and Vivien work nonstop over the next few months, Viven is fighting the world around him. Vivien is expected to work as a janitor or some other low job, and gets paid that salary when he is working as a surgical lab technician. He is battling racism and discrimination, but loves his work so refuses to leave. When Vivien and Dr. Blalock find the cure and save the lives of babies everywhere, it is Dr. Blalock who recieves all the credit while Vivien is not even mentioned. This is the end of Vivien and Dr. Blalock's friendship, since Dr. Blalock treated Vivien as an equal, until now. In the end of the movie, Vivien returns to Dr. Blalock, for he missed his work and eventually became one of the first black doctors and recieved all the honor he deserved.
At the moment, I am experiencing the same feeling that Dr. Blalock possessed during the entire movie; the need to make a difference in the world and to do something meaningful with my life. However, pondering over all the options I had, things I could set my mind to in order to make a difference, I realized that in a small way I already had. During my high school years, I managed to become a talented musician, while maintaining at least a B average in almost all honors classes. My senior year was the year I really decided to test myself. Not only did I take an AP class, but I also auditioned for several national honor bands. People said I wasn't really good enough to make it into these bands but despite what they said, I worked and auditioned anyways. Much to my delight, I was a proud member of the Macy's 2011 Great American Marching Band, the Honor Band of America, and the 2012 American Honors Performance series at Carnegie Hall. So in one year I managed to march in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, perform in Carnegie Hall, perform in Indianapolis, and also earn a full music scholarship from Furman, while maintaining my grades. Not to mention I was a wonderful clarinet section leader and woodwind captain of my marching band. At the time, this didn't seem very inspirational, but I continue to hear members of my band continue to say how they are auditioning for Macy's or Carnegie Hall, more people than ever before. Also that they wanted to become section leaders and captains. People are wanting to become me. This just warms my heart knowing that I left my mark and people are inspired to achieve all that I did.
But I don't want to stop, much like Dr. Blalock after finding the cure for traumatic shock. I want to continue and do something else great. I'm not going to let my failures get in my way. I do not see failure as defeat but instead as a reminder that we are not working hard enough and to try again. Like my AP class. I guess I did not study enough and now know that I need to focus more on studying when I get to college. But I will promise you this, I will go on to do great things whether it be being the prinipal chair in a huge symphony, a known psychologist, or even medical school. I WILL do great things, so world, prepare yourself. I'm getting ready to start the rest of my life and I promise you I will not stop until my goal is complete, no matter what people tell me. Just go ahead and call me the future Dr. Blalock because "where you see risks, I see opportunity."
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