Four out of the five Manta Band students left to Guam for the '08 Beijing Olympics on Monday. There was no fan fare, no media, no big production. Too bad. I would have thought we'd give these kids a nice send off, after all they are headed to a once in a lifetime opportunity; one they've earned through tireless practice, dedication and talent. It's a good thing for us that they have enough intrinsic motivation not to notice they seem to come second fiddle, pardon the pun. I sound like I'm complaining, but I am. I wonder how different a send off kids would get if they were say, part of an athletic competition. It isn't just musicians who get left out, I've noticed that our drama students also don't get the recognition we should offer them. Our tiny islands are filled with remarkable talent. We have so many talented athletes, thespians and artists of all genres. The future is not far and it belongs to them. Let's not forget that.
We took Tony to dinner before heading to the airport. He'll be staying with a family on Guam for the entire summer honing his skills for the Olympics. We figured we'd fill his tummy and his heart before putting him on a plane. Last night we all realized how much we already miss him. He's such a wonderful kid, loving son and great big brother. I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother. The boy is gold.
The family came to the airport to say "good luck" to Tony, but it was hardest on Kimi, his
girl. Two great teenagers, we are so lucky. It wasn't hard to give up the last hug to his girlfriend. Well, it was a little new, a little scary, but not at all hard.
*****
Peace from Papago!
We took Tony to dinner before heading to the airport. He'll be staying with a family on Guam for the entire summer honing his skills for the Olympics. We figured we'd fill his tummy and his heart before putting him on a plane. Last night we all realized how much we already miss him. He's such a wonderful kid, loving son and great big brother. I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother. The boy is gold.
The family came to the airport to say "good luck" to Tony, but it was hardest on Kimi, his girl. Two great teenagers, we are so lucky. It wasn't hard to give up the last hug to his girlfriend. Well, it was a little new, a little scary, but not at all hard.
