Beanbags and Turtles

Johnsonville Cornhole Championships sounds rather formal until you realize it is about tossing a bean bag at a 6 inch hole on a board. But wait--it is 27 feet away from the "pitcher's box" and requires skill. With nothing else live on ESPN these months, we could watch singles, doubles, the top 100 world players(are you kidding?) and become addicted to seeing how many successful attempts one player could make(17 was the count). Such a simple game that was organized in 2005 with leagues, Las Vegas odds, and backyard competition.

But simplicity has always had its rewards. When I began directing one-act plays at Wilson, I made sure I had the maximum cast number of 15 for any play so more students could share the experience. The year we were presenting Reynard the Fox, I needed one more cast member for 15 and decided to add a turtle. I asked sweet Ginger to take it: no dialogue but on the stage the entire time. She accepted, made a great turtle shell costume, came to every rehearsal. When we went to zone competition, we faced 5 other one-acts and placed in the top two, getting us to the next level of district. When the all-star cast was named for all the schools at zone, Ginger our turtle was named. The other schools almost gasped. How could that be? She had no dialogue. When the experienced judge gave his comments, he said she was the best he had ever seen at taking a small part and never wavering. No matter when he looked for her on the stage, she was always a turtle in her motions and made the effort look easy. So we gave her hugs and went on the district the next week.  It was much harder because these were the 4 best. We thought we should have advanced but got 3rd, so we gave a sigh and listened to the district  all star cast results. And there she was again: our turtle Ginger. This second experienced judge said almost the same things as the previous judge. Whenever he looked for her, she was a turtle, never hurrying, never paying attention to other actors, never doing anything except what a turtle would do.

So that was the end of it you say. No. For years, and I do mean years, other one-act directors in our district would be talking to me and end by saying, "Do you remember when that judge named your turtle on the all-star cast when she had no dialogue?" It was if to say, "How could  judges make such a mistake?"

I would smile my best smug smile, hold up two fingers, and say, "Twice."

The lesson is so clear. If you are a nurse, a grandmother, a husband, a farmer, a lawyer, an assistant, a salesman, a neighbor, a trombonist, a member of your community, a choir member or part of  anything that you have agreed to do or taken on, be the best you can be. You may think it will go unnoticed, but you're wrong. That all-star medal  is probably being printed right now with your name on it.