For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to be a singer.
Problem is – I can’t sing. Like, at all. I couldn’t “carry a tune in a bucket,” as they say.
In my younger days, I was a decent gymnast but have never been much of a dancer either.
It’s a crying shame, really, because I absolutely adore all kinds music and all kinds of dance – those magical forms of human expression.
The Power of Music
I was thinking about my lack of musical talent the other night as I watched old recorded episodes of X Factor UK which – if you haven’t seen It – is like American Idol. Amateur singers audition to make the show, attend “boot camp”, and are eliminated each week until there’s a winner.
Tonight, this is some of what I saw:
– A 5-guy group harmonizing a gospel spin on a a popular song from today, “Hold Back the River”
– A 17-year-old lovely blondie named Charlie singing “A Change is Gonna’ Come” with such conviction that I cried
– A girl group who tapped into their belief through the pain of a “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
When I watch moments like this, it touches my heart so very deeply. It makes me more jealous than ever that I can’t sing a lick. Like when I see those dancers on So You Think You Can Dance interpreting the music with their bodies and movement in ways that make me laugh, weep, feel, think, and physically shiver.
https://youtu.be/xnguqsMQmg4
If You Know Me, You Know I Love Steve Perry
And this is why. He has a voice that’s always been able to reach into my soul and put me in touch with the pain, the sadness, the hope, and the party of life. Even the things and places he sings about hit me in the heart, reminding me of my 70s and 80s California upbringing, of sailing in the San Francisco Bay at sunset, riding horses on country roads, and all “those crazy nights, I do remember from my youth.”
https://youtu.be/944wGt77Br4
Like, WOW. How lucky is Steve Perry that he gets to not only express himself in that physical release of wailing a song but he also gets to make millions of people around the world feel so good? Or sad or contemplative or longing for love?
So How Does This Relate to Scrapbooking?
As I watched those singers on TV the other night – and being sad about the abilities they have which I never will – it hit me.
Scrapbooking is my gift to the world.
I know, sounds corny, huh?
But think about it.
– I’m the one who insists on carrying a camera to the beach, on snapping the group photos at holiday dinners (as they all groannn), and I take the time to download, edit, and print those photos.
– I’m the one who tracks the big and little events in my day planner, asks family members about their experiences, and writes them all down to save the memory.
– I’m the one with the desire and creativity to find the perfect color of sea blue cardstock to bring out the blue in those eyes, to place the photos on the page in a way that tells the story, and shares these precious things in my albums.
So What If I Can’t Sing and Dance!
Isn’t what I do just as special? Isn’t what I do coming from the same place deep in the heart? Isn’t what I do a talent that most people don’t have, that many people envy? Doesn’t My scrapbooking make others laugh, cry, and FEEL things?
You know I don’t like to brag but – HECK YEAH! I pretty much rock.
And So Do You
You do all these things too. You carry the camera, keep the notes, choose the photos, and relive the memories on paper for your family.
You see the creative possibilities in paper and mist and stamps.
You let people into your heart when you share your layouts.
You preserve moments that are so special, so unique to you and your family, and they would be lost if YOU weren’t a scrapbooker.
So I don’t care if you can sing or dance. Or play pro baseball or are as pretty as Katie Holmes or run a charity.
Because you SCRAPBOOK and that is your gift to the world.
*All images courtesy of Unsplash.com
10 Comments
I really liked your post as I also wish I had some God given talent like a beautiful voice or artistic talent to express myself. You made me realize that I am expressing myself with my scrap booking!
Hi Lynn! I guess we’re both relegated to signing in the car, LOL. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’m glad you agree that what we do is pretty awesome in its own right :)
I love this post! Sometimes I wonder what I’ll leave behind other than paper scraps, but this makes perfect sense.
I made a mini album for my dad one year at Christmas (he asked me to make one cuz he felt left out that he hadn’t received one), so I made him a nice manly book that’s expandable. He was very happy to receive it and now for ANY day he deems special, I have to make a new page for the book. He tells me he looks through this silly book every couple of days cuz it makes him happy.
I have yet to make a ‘it’s warmer than 70 degrees” page (which he believes is a special day) but you get the picture. Makes my heart sing to know he really appreciates the book and that’s why I do it!
Oh my gosh, Teri, that is wonderful! How blessed you are to have someone close who so outwardly appreciates what you do. Not only that, he “makes” you do more pages for him! I’m at the stage where my family (pretends to) tolerate my time and money spent scrapbooking but I know they’ll appreciate it much more someday, as we all get older and the memories get sweeter <3
I joined your scrapbook room organization class this morning, paying thru paypal.
How do I access the course? Do you send the class lessons to my email address?
is there a log in site I can click?
Hi Rosa – I e-mailed you. Thanks!
We have to stop comparing our worst to someone else’s best. We are enough. Great post!
Beautifully said, Catherine. Thank you for reading!
What a wonderful, delightful post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Much of what you said sure did resonate with me. I also wish I could sing and dance (and I used to be a gymnast once upon a time in high school, too!) I think it’s great to have people like you to remind us to look at what we DO have to offer, instead of focusing on what we wish we had.
Wow, a fellow high school gymnast :) Those were the days, huh? Thank you so much, Laura. I appreciate what you said. Some people like to make fun of scrapbookers or say “it’s just a hobby” but I think what we do is very underrated. It’s a talent and skill, just like singing and dancing, that brings joy to others. We’re important :)