I won my high school talent show by dancing like Michael Jackson.
The song was “Smooth Criminal.” The audience was all 4,000 members of my fellow student body.
Minus me, of course, wearing an all-white suit, fedora and a single glove; a freshman standing alone on stage where I represented the veritable definition of ”sitting duck.”
In hindsight, it should have gone horribly wrong. In all honesty, it sort of did. I tossed my sunglasses too soon, the spotlight dimmed too late and my blue armband flew clean off.
And yet I smiled. And people cheered. A lot.
So much so that I was asked to perform for two more nights—the last of which saw me suffer through the stomach flu but somehow earn a standing ovation.
Which means two things:
The bar for a 14-year-old, female King of Pop impersonator is relatively low.
In life and on stage, it’s hard to go wrong when you’re having fun.
some less embarrassing factoids…
I’m a diehard Houston Texans fan (I know what you’re thinking). Actually, I’m obsessed with all sports. I used to work for the Bleacher Report Social Team. Bold predictions about the league’s best receiver before he was the best? I called it. A running Olympic commentary on the meme known as "‘Phelps Face?” Guilty as charged.
Je suis Québécoise. I was born in Montreal; grew up in Texas. Now I’m spiritually (and legally) one part Canadian, one part ‘Merican.
I own about 100 pairs of sneakers. I’d buy more, but they don’t fit in my closet.
My hair is as big as my personality (or is it the other way around?). People say I have a mane. So I went ahead and became a Young Lion.
I spend about 28% of my day laughing. I made that up, but I swear my friends will tell you it’s true.