Thursday, November 10, 2011

Challenge 10: Change

38. If you could go back and change one day in your life, what would you change and why? (Santa Clara University)

On a Christmas evening, I was asked to play violin in Special Festival in Hosanna Church which my mom had started in a small area in Bangalore, India. The Festival was for all the local people who were around the area, mainly the poor in the villages. My mom thought they would love to see me play an instrument, which they probably wouldn’t have ever seen before. But I rejected her request simply because I thought no one from local area would even know what a violin is. Also, it’s very tiring and boring to stand playing violin while the others sing and dance freely. Instead, I decided to just be a part of the audience and help out the transitions between events.

The show began, and the atmosphere was getting filled by increasing interest and shouting of the crowd. The events were not as good as the events are in schools or organizations; the performers were our local Sunday School children who are not very well educated enough to catch music beats quickly. But they were so lively and hard working that people enjoyed the show so much. The light and happy mood made me get closer to so many people in the crowd; I made new friends, sisters and brothers. They were fascinated with the fact that I, a foreigner, had studied in Indian local schools for 5 years. By the time the show was over, I became really close to those friends and let them know that my hobby was to play instruments. They kept on insisting that they would not leave till I played them something. So, at last, I decided to play violin for them. I took them to an empty room and played a piece that I had just learnt recently. I saw them enjoying my music, so I kept on playing. When I finally ended my piece, put my violin down from my shoulder, and raised my eyes to look around my friends’ reactions, I was stunned. There were more than twenty people watching me play the violin and clapping to praise me. They started asking me to play another piece. But that very moment, people were asked to leave the church and move to another venue.

I regretted so much that day. The people may have not known what violin is, but they certainly knew how to enjoy the music that comes from it. If I could change that day’s decision on playing violin for piano, I would certainly say yes to my mom’s request. They’re just like people in my school, in offices, and so on, who equally deserve respect. I was being really stupid and immature convincing myself that I shouldn’t play because that kind of people will not be able to understand my music; I was too proud. If I went back and change my decision and my thoughts of that day, I would certainly have made more friends and made people happy and exciting by playing my violin.

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