I ventured out last Friday to do a little shopping...not the 3 a.m. kind like many were doing...more like the 10:00 a.m. kind. Anyway, I had my 9 year old daughter with me. She wanted a new CD and had some Birthday money, so we went to look for it. I wasn't having much luck, so I asked her to catch the attention of one of the salesmen. She did and it was a moment that made me proud! In her tiny little voice she said, "I need a CD of Tchaikovsky. I want it to have the Russian Dance, the Chinese Dance, and the Waltz of the Flowers...I like the Reed Flutes" and smiled up at his astonished face. He said, "How old are you?" Then looked at me and asked, "Is she in some type of gifted program for musicians? I can't even say Tchaikovsky right and I have no idea what a Reed Flute is." I told him that she was 9 and no, she was not in any gifted programs -- just 3rd Grade Music Class at Pawnee Heights. But I did think about our conversation a lot on the way home. I repeated the story to her Music Teacher, Miss Boyd. I know that most conversations about Education right now are about budgets and budget cuts -- isn't it nice that we still have wonderful educators like Miss Boyd who teach passionately and inspire our children to believe that they are only limited by their imagination? I am filled with Gratitude for Miss Boyd and those like her!
As for the much sought-after CD...we finally found it in the Bargain-Bin for $2.50...what a bargain! She's been listening to it for almost a week now.