Rejection

So last Tuesday I auditioned for a regional Mormon choir with my friend Niki. She really wanted to do it and asked if I'd do it with her. I couldn't make one of the concerts as it was, but told her I'd try out with her anyway. I could appreciate not wanting to go to something like this alone.

Well, the verdict was in yesterday. They pretty much said, "Thanks, but no thanks". Actually, I'm not surprised. The director said because they were pretty much where they wanted to be with female voices, he asked if I "knew a guy" that I could bring with me. Even if I did, I'd rather get in to the choir on my OWN merits, thank you very much.

As it turns out, Niki made it! Hooray for her! And she didn't even need a guy. I'm very happy for her and this is truly how it should be. She wanted it waaay more than I did and she fits into the choir better than I do. It's pretty elite.

However, even though I was indifferent about being in the choir, and wasn't sure they'd take me if I couldn't make one of the two Christmas performances, and then hearing from the director himself that chances are if I made the audition musically, they're just too full unless I could recruit a guy....I have to say that being rejected still stings a little bit.

But it's OKAY, I promise!!! This is actually a good thing. First of all, I got a reminder call from my periodontist's office asking if I was still planning on the oral surgery to have three of my upper gums grafted on Monday. I am and then I realized that I'm not allowed to bite into food for 6 weeks. I have a tendency to swell after such surgeries and I'm betting that trying to articulate while singing is going to be kind of tricky if not painful for the next little while.

On this same Monday after school, Jake and Cooper are doing a group audition for their school musical "Hansel and Gretel." So at dinner last night I was able to take the opportunity to remind the kids of my audition last week and tell them that even though I gave it my all, I didn't make it. I was able to model the appropriate responses for such disappointments including being happy for my friend. Hopefully this experience will be something the boys can remember as an example should they find themselves in the same situation.

I had to laugh, too. In my rejection letter they encouraged me to audition at a future time. And then in the next sentence they "welcomed" me to audition at a future time. And I'm thinking...my voice isn't going to be any better in the future...probably worse actually. So why would I do that? Besides, I'm not really one that thrives on rejection. Maybe if that's what I really want someday, I'll pursue it. But for now, I'm good.