SPT—What is extra special about you?

“the spt challenge for next week is to photograph something that is extra special about you. it might be a physical feature, a talent, or an unknown secret. this spt is all about you!”
As a woman who has been taught to be humble and never glorify herself, it is difficult for me to say these words. So, I tell you this with gratitude to a Heavenly Father who knows my ability and blesses me each time I use it.

I have a gift that few of my current friends have witnessed. I am a great actress. I have even been paid for my acting ability.

I have been in many theatrical productions, a few TV commercials, done a couple of voice-overs, and I have been a weekend DJ and reporter on women's issues at a radio station, KDJI, in Holbrook, Arizona. I had the privilege of doing a production “Morning After.” When, as the first actress to perform this piece, if it ever gets published, I will be the person listed in the front as the original star. The first production I did was “The Curios Savage.” I played the crazy daughter trying to have her mother committed to get her money. The last production I did was “The Curios Savage.” I played the crazy mother who was being committed. What a ride.

Every production I was in that was reviewed gave me, personally, rave reviews. I was always amazed. One of my favorites was when I was in “Prelude to a Kiss.” I was on the stage about 15 or 20 minutes. I played 3 small parts with different hair each time. One of the appearances I made, my back was to the audience the entire time. I was a space filler. The reviewer said the production was awful. There were only two people worth watching in the entire production. I was one of them.

Acting fulfils a part of me that has, at times in my life, been empty. I love being on the stage. Once, when I was very depressed and doing a theater production, I was sitting behind the curtain waiting to go on. I had my head in my hands and the stage manager came up and asked me if I was okay. I said, “I’ll be alright in a minute, when I walk out on the stage I will be Ethel and everyone loves Ethel.”

Perhaps that sounds sad to you, but I don’t mean it that way. Acting has been one of the joys of my life and if actors weren’t so weird, I would thrust myself totally into that world and enjoy every minute of it. I’m just not in to drugs, sex and some forms of freedom of expression (if you know what I mean). However, I love my life and would not give up anything I now have to get the privilege of acting right now.