ANC 10: dance performance

28. Attach a small photograph of something important to you and explain its significance. (Stanford)

With my mom, a missionary to South India, I lived in  India since I was in third grade. Since my mom's church was built in a village for poor villagers, most of the people at the church have quite a difficult standard of living. They can't speak English, they are not very well-educated, and they had darker complexion compared to other wealthy Indians due to their labor under sun to earn a living.  Soon, I realized that these people are different from the people I meet in school, restaurants, and even stores I go to. 

One day before two weeks before our Christmas celebration, my mom asked me to join the group dance to simply have fun along with the guests. But I flatly denied her request. I didn't want to do so. My mom told me how disappointed she was, and questioned me why I, a person fond of performing in front of people, was not willing to do this. Besides, my mom gave me a good reason to my obligation to dance at this Christmas celebration; The following spring, I was to leave the city and join a boarding school two hours away by flight. I didn't know the reason. Since my mom had told me to think about this matter seriously, I brooded over my unwillingness. I thought, "Why would I not want to dance this time? Actually, if my mom told me to dance alone, I might have. But why with these people?" And a flash of something flickered in my mind. It hit me strongly, making me realize that the reason I didn't want to dance was that I debased these people's values. I realized how hypocritical I was; I criticized others who still had the concept of caste system, and I was keep on making distinctions among people in my mind subconsciously. I was completely wrong. 

The next day, I joined the dance group immediately. They were really glad that I joined them, and I felt a warm welcome from them along with their earnest friendship. I felt sincere love from them as they taught me the dance steps they have been working on. They were patient with me, going over all the steps again and again. 

Even on the day of the performance, my dance group members encouraged me not to be nervous and wished me luck. We were together as a group, performing with valid gladness. We do not know if the guests' cheer was out of real appreciation for our performance; but we know that our smiles shined beautifully combining with our wonderful dance. The attached photo shows the fun I had with people who may be poor in living but rich in heart.