Did you know I used to ....???

I love to play this "game" with my 8 year old goddaughter I'll call Princess. It always amazes me that kid's seem to think that you had absolutely no life until they came into existence.

Don't they realize if their parents weren't here before them that they would have no existence? Never mind, she is not old enough for that conversation.

I especially love to make this statement to Princess, "You know, way back in the last century, when Nanny was in school". Fill in school with a wide variety of words that apply to things I did in the last century. There were lots of them. 28 years of things to be exact. I graduated high school, college, got married, moved to another state, etc, etc.

Princess goes to a gift & talented school. Apparently her talent is musical theater. For any other 2oth century peeps out there it is what we called chorus. I love that she is so into this because I was too. I sang in grammar school, high school and even a couple of years in college.

Princess recently had to sing two songs for a group of judges at school. I had also done this but not until I was in high school. She performed these songs as solos.

When she originally told me she was performing 2 solos, I was amazed. I told her that I would have never done that at her age. Heck, I don't know if I would do it now.

Wait, never mind, I KNOW, I wouldn't do it now.

It wasn't for lack of encouragement that I never performed a solo, I was always too afraid. I don't know if Princess knows the meaning of the word fear. She wants to know how much longer she has to wait to try out for American Idol.

After her performance, she called to tell me she had gotten "superior" ratings on both songs. That is the highest rating you can get. I told her how proud of her I was.

I suddenly remembered that I too had gotten superior ratings for group performances I had done. We got a certificate and a medal. I now had to go to my "box of crap from the last century" to find it. I hoped the medal actually said "superior" on it. I couldn't remember.

Low and behold, I found the medal. It did say "superior". It looks like a military medal. It hangs from a small piece of red ribbon. I actually had more than one.

The next time I saw Princess I gave her the medal. She actually immediately wanted to put it on. I was happy she was that happy about it. You never know how these 21st century kids are going to react to things. She was then walking around, with the medal pinned to her chest, showing it to all my other half's family. She almost looked like a little Khadaffi.

The other half's grandmother was amazed that I gave the medal to Princess. She said, "You were a superior singer too?". I told her yes I was. Then she questioned whether or not I wanted to let Princess "keep" the medal. Again yes. I told her that I had others at home. I also thought that after 23 or 24 years, which is when I got the medal, it was time to pass it on.

So did you know I used to be a superior singer?

You know way back in the last century?

I think Princess deserves an extra medal for bravery. Something I certainly didn't have.

I'm so proud of her.