The Performer

The young performer sat on the stage, dejected after a terrible performance. It had been a horrible night. The rows of chairs in front of him were now empty. So was his heart. Dejected, he thought briefly about quitting. About giving up. Instead, he sat in the nearly dark hall mulling over his future. He closed his eyes and began reviewing his dream.

His dream. The very thing that had driven him for years. The very thing that had taken him from being a middle-class boy in a middle-class suburb to this very stage.  He had made it. His talent had brought him this far. And then he had failed.  His eyes hurt. So did his soul.

He plunged into darkness.

“When you are driving in your car and a dog chases you, do you stop and pull over? Or do you keep going and leave the dog behind?”

The performer looked around and didn’t see anyone.

“Ever read the anonymous comments about you on the internet?  Remember the boos you heard tonight?  They’re like that dog.  The dog can only hurt you if you let it catch you.”

The performer strained his eyes, trying to see the source of the voice.

“I let the dog catch me.  Don’t you allow it to happen to you.”

An elderly man pushing a broom and a barrel came into view.

“I had talent just like you. I once performed on this stage. But then I quit. I allowed my critics to get me down.  I chose the wrong people to listen to.  Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve lived a good life. But I didn’t live the great life that was I was capable of living.”

The custodian walked over to the performer and sat down next to him. He then put his arm around the boy.  The performer was surprised but just sat there, listening to the wise old man.

“You had a bad night. And you’ll get a bad review. You’ll probably have people shelling you on the Internet within the hour. Heck, probably at this very moment. Keep driving son. Don’t let the dog catch you.”

The performer looked at the custodian’s eyes and could see his reflection within them. He then looked out into the dark theater.  He had to keep driving — his journey had taken him this far. It was time see where it would take him.

“Now if you will excuse me, I have a theater to clean up.  And you have an act to improve.”

The custodian stood up slowly, balancing himself on his broom.  He walked into the darkness and disappeared.

“Thank you.”

“No son, don’t thank me with your words.  Come back tomorrow night and give the performance of your life.  That’s how you can thank me.”

The performer nodded.

The next night, he did indeed give the best performance of his life.  And when he came out for his third encore, he invited a special guest onto the stage.  An elderly man in a gray uniform, walked slowly into the spotlight and joined the performer in a duet of  Frank Sinatra’s “My Way”.

The audience gave both men a standing ovation. And then the performer realized he had just left the dog far behind.