Page 20 - Perfect Parents, Perfect Children, and Other Fairy Tales

Speak Kindly of Your Children to Others

I taught a university-level class last week for a
colleague. The subject was music, and she wanted

to have a guest professor come in and make that
particular presentation. I was happy to do it, and I
enjoyed the students immensely. Besides, I love

talking about music, so it was a great opportunity.

We discussed the periods of music, how chords

worked, and some classical works. We also
discussed music in their own lives, and that was
when I thought of something that I wanted to know.

I asked them to put their heads down or cover their
eyes, and then I told them the story of Courtney,

who was so scared to sing for me that every time
she did during my class, she had tears in her eyes
from the stress. Then I asked them to raise their

hand if they have ever been criticized for their
singing or their music in any way.

Nearly every hand in the room went up.

Notwithstanding that this was a college class and I

was teaching it, my eyes started tearing up. It took
me a minute to regain my composure, and then I

asked them to put their hands down and open their

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