We Were All Flummoxed.
Yesterday was Shane’s last day of “Intro to Acting” class, and they did a little show for parents. Shane adores this class. Emphasis is on imagination and knowing the character and story line, rather than on stage technique.
Of course, I signed up Shane for acting hoping that he would learn to speak louder and more clearly – but that’s apparently not the goal.
It’s always a real delight for me to see Shane’s performances, because there’s no judgment by anyone. There are no right or wrong answers, or actions, or ways to perform. No one tells Shane his ways are odd – even if they are. Instead, he is actually quite funny.
Best of all is the way he sees himself. Last night he told me, “I’m kind of like the class clown in there. I just say whatever I am thinking and people just laugh.”
People laugh with him in this class, rather than condemning him for being different. His self-esteem skyrockets – and his ideas can be very, very different than the norm.
I remember when Shane was younger and we were playing a game, much like charades. Shane was supposed to act out the picture on his card, and we were supposed to guess the word.
Shane got down onto the floor, curled himself tightly into a ball with his head down, put his fist on his head and put up one finger.
We were all flummoxed.
After many failed guesses, we learned that Shane’s word was “apple.” Many people would mime the act of eating an apple, but not Shane. He became an apple. Similar things happen every week in his class, but rather than feeling frustrated, he is praised for his creativity. It not only increases his self-esteem – but it encourages him to be more open with what he is thinking.
And how he thinks is of great interest to me. It’s often difficult to understand what he’s trying to say, but well worth the effort when I finally do. He has a lot to say – sometimes much deeper than I’d ever expect, and sometimes so innocent in his childlike wonder, it almost breaks my heart.
It’s always an adventure.