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The triumph of the underdog: it's something we all want to believe can happen. But how often to we get to see an underdog triumph in real life? Not often, which makes those few, rare moments all the more precious.
Picture a frumpy middle-aged woman from a small town in Scotland. She’s never been married; never even been kissed. But she dreams of becoming a singing star. She gets a chance to go on a national talent-scouting program, and she grabs it. When she walks out on stage, everyone laughs at her. They think she’s going to make a fool of herself. Then she starts to sing, and audience and hardened judges alike gasp in wonder at the beauty of her voice. By the end of her performance, they’re on their feet, cheering, with tears running down their faces.
Of course, this song can make me cry under even ordinary circumstances. But this performance—ah, this performance is sublime.
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7 comments:
I've been hearing about this-- wonder if they'll ever bother to broadcast it on our local TV...
Yes, I was moved to tears, too, by her voice and her presence.
I think Mark Blankenship explained this phenomena brilliantly: ".. when we laugh at someone for being a freak, we're laughing out of fear. We're laughing because we want to prove that we are not like that loser over there. If we can shame the people who don't belong, then we can prove that we do.
"When we embrace an outsider, though, we're paving the way for our own acceptance in the future. Eventually, we'll all feel like outcasts, and none of us wants to be laughed at. The Susan Boyle Story suggests we won't be. Instead of fearing for our own eventual shame, we can count on society to hear what's beautiful in us. We can trust that if we just show our true selves, we will be embraced."
Definitely she had a wonderful voice.
Ironically, I posted about Susan Boyle on my blog on the same day as you! What a wonderful and inspiring story. Tears well up in my eyes every time I watch the video.
I like Blankenship's excplanation for what we're all feeling.
I'm not much for reality shows of any kind, but while at another blog I listened to Susan Boyle sing. Yes, her singing brought tears to my eyes: it's brilliant for such raw talent. But I didn't laugh at her before she sang. I had considered her antics as a bad case of nerves before a cynical audience.
Susan Boyle is an inspiration for everyone with a dream to keep on trying.
I loved Susan Boyle.
I can't find a place to comment on your porphyria article. Mary Q. of Scots was not the first to have it. She descended from both Tudors and Stuarts who had it. The Tudors got it probably from Katherine of Valois, wife of Henry V and Owen Tudor, whose dad was the mad Charles VI of France.
I have it, and it ruins your life, but I managed to have a happy marriage (husband died after 40 years, devoted to me even though I was sick, and I cared for him his last years in a wheelchair. Love is the only good thing we had. Mariel
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