[blindchristian] An Inspiring Story About Mildred Honor

From: "Victoria E Gilkerson" <vegilkerson@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <blindchristian@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 7 Feb 2015 05:11:02 -0600
 

 

When you read this, you might just need the tissues so get them ready ahead
of time. 

 

 

At the prodding of my friends I am writing this story. My name is Mildred
Honor and I am a former
elementary school music teacher from Des Moines , Iowa

Ř I have always supplemented my income by teaching piano lessons - something
I have done for over 30 years.
> During those years I found that children have
> many levels of musical ability, and even though I have never had the
> pleasure of having a prodigy, I have taught some very talented students.
> However, I have also had my share of what I
> call 'musically challenged' pupils - one such pupil being
Ř
> Robby..

> Robby was 11 years old when his mother (a single mom)
> dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer
> that students (especially boys) begin at an earlier age, which I
> explained to Robby. But Robby said that it had always been his
> mother's dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him as a student.
> Well, Robby began his piano lessons and from the
> beginning I thought it was a hopeless endeavor. As much as
> Robby tried, he lacked the sense of tone and basic rhythm needed to
> excel. But he dutifully reviewed his scales and some elementary piano
> pieces that I require all my students to learn. Over the months he
> tried and tried while I listened and cringed and tried to encourage him.
At the end of each weekly lesson he would always say 'My mom's going to
> hear me play someday'. But to me, it seemed hopeless, he just did not have
any inborn ability.
> I only knew his mother from a distance as she dropped Robby off or waited
in her aged car to pick him
> up. She always waved and smiled, but never dropped in.
> Then one day Robby stopped coming for his lessons. I thought about calling
him, but assumed that
> because of his lack of ability he had decided to pursue something else. I
was also glad that he had stopped coming he was a bad advertisement for my
teaching!

> Several weeks later I mailed a flyer recital to the students' homes. To my
surprise, Robby (who had received
> a flyer) asked me if he could be in the recital. I told him that the
recital was for current pupils and that because
he had dropped out, he really did not qualify.
He told me that his mother had been sick and unable to take him to his piano
lessons, but that he had been practicing.
> 'Please Miss Honor, I've just got to play' he insisted. I don't know what
led me to allow him to play in the recital - perhaps it was his insistence
or maybe something inside of me saying that it would be all right.
> The night of the recital came and the high school gymnasium was packed
with parents, relatives and friends.
> I put Robby last in the program, just before I was to come up and thank
all the students and play a finishing piece. I thought that any damage he
might do would come at the end of the program and I could always salvage his
poor performance through my 'curtain closer'.
> Well, the recital went off without a hitch, the students had been
practicing and it showed. Then Robby
> came up on the stage. His clothes were wrinkled and his hair looked as
though he had run an egg beater through it. 'Why wasn't he dressed up like
the other students?' I thought. 'Why didn't his mother at least make him
comb his hair for this special night?'
> Robby pulled out the piano bench, and I was surprised when he announced
that he had chosen
> to play Mozart's Concerto No. 21 in C Major. I was not prepared for what I
heard next. His fingers were light on the keys, they even
> danced nimbly on the ivories. He went from pianissimo to fortissimo, from
allegro to virtuoso; his suspended chords that Mozart demands were
> magnificent!

Never had I heard Mozart played so well by anyone his age.
> After six and a half minutes he ended in a grand crescendo, and everyone
was on their feet in wild applause! Overcome and in tears, I ran up onstage
and put my arms around Robby in joy. 'I have never heard you play like that
Robby, how did you do it?
> 'Through the microphone Robby explained: 'Well, Miss Honor .... remember I
told you that my mom was sick? Well, she actually had cancer and passed away
this morning. And well ...... she was born deaf, so tonight was the first
time she had ever heard me play and I wanted to make it special.'

There wasn't a dry eye in the house that evening.
> As the people from Social Services led Robby from the stage to be placed
into foster care, I noticed that even their eyes were red and puffy. I
thought to myself then how much richer my life had been for taking Robby as
my pupil.
> No, I have never had a prodigy, but that night I became a prodigy
......... of Robby. He was the teacher and I was the pupil, for he had
taught me the meaning of perseverance and love and believing in yourself,
and may be even taking a chance on someone and you didn't know why.
> Robby was killed years later in the senseless bombing of the Alfred P.
Murray Federal Building in Oklahoma
> City in April, 1995.
> And now, a footnote to the story. If you
> are thinking about forwarding this message, you are probably
> wondering which people on your address list aren't the 'appropriate' ones
> to receive this type of message. The person who sent this to you believes
that we can all make a difference!
> So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with
a choice.
> You now have two choices:
> 1. Delete this; OR
> 2. Forward it to the people you care about. You know the choice I made.
> Thank you for reading this.
> May God Bless you today, tomorrow and always.
> If God didn't have a purpose for us, we wouldn't be here!
> USA, IN GOD WE TRUST!
> Live simply.
> Love generously.
> Care deeply.
> Speak kindly.
> Leave the rest to God.
>>

February 4 at 6:04pm . fun adult blind p...

 

 

Victoria E Gilkerson
[blindchristian] An Inspiring Story About Mildred Honor

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