Everyone's Story...

No.  This post has nothing to do with traveling, bananas, food, or anything I have ever written about.

Yes.  I love the show The Voice.  I didn't watch the first two seasons very closely, but Seasons 2 - 5 have had my attention.  I am not one to follow many television shows - we only have the most basic of basic channels at home and I typically only tune in for important things - the news, football games and game shows (read Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy).

With that said, The Voice has my full attention for this coming season and last night I finally could pin point what I love most about this show.  You see the real side of the contestants - their stories, their raw emotions, their passion for their craft.  Not only that, but you see the real side of the coaches (I hope and think) in a way you typically don't get to see celebs interact with one another.  I love their banter and they seem to genuinely enjoy themselves.  (Note - I can imagine they are being payed a pretty amount to act that way, but I will assume that they are just being themselves...).

Atleast three times last night I was almost crying because I could just feel the excitement those contestants were feeling, and you can just see their dreams coming true.  Plus, many of the stories these people share are incredible.  The woman from Jamaica, the shy yet remarkable 19 year old, and the man that was playing Lynyrd Skynyrd with the guitar his Dad used to play were all incredibly talented, but you could see the raw emotion on their face and in their eyes when those chairs turned around.  It gave me goosebumps.
Every since entering the field of education, and even more so, ever since interacting with 1,000s of different people all over the country this summer, I find myself stopping to consider or even just ponder differences among each and every person.  We all have our own story, and I know this summer has taught me the importance of considering where other people are coming from and what their story may be.  The human race is remarkable in countless ways, and I feel blessed to have been able to meet and interact with people from so many different walks of life.  This is also why I am so excited to begin teaching!!

NPR also recently did a broadcast all about stories during their TED hour and it was awesome.  Look it up!

Life is truly amazing.