"Okay, one more time! Just say the line and look at me, okay kid?”

The odd thing was though, this guy didn’t know me.

He didn’t know I like to eat my ice cream with a fork

Or that I always say thank you to teachers after class.

But, regardless, I listened.

Or at least that’s how I think it went…

The Disney Channel agent flashed me a classic Hollywood smile as he motioned his tan fingers At the freshly printed script

Weighing down

My clammy hands.

I love acting, but the funny part is

I'm always real.

To me, a performance is never just a show,

It’s a reflection of reality.

Honesty,

Just like my Grampy always tells me over a good ol' cup of joe,

Is the best policy.

So,

I peeled the script carefully out of the agent’s polished hand

And I skimmed over it.

Soon enough

I gently placed it on the fuzzy carpet of the hotel meeting room.

"I'd rather say something of own if that's all right, sir".

It was a rhetorical question, of course.

With a deep breath and

Slight stroke of my fingers through my glossed hair,

I started my own monologue.

"I've always wanted to be famous,

To be known,

Asked for an autograph.

Stopped in the grocery store and pressed for what I'm working on.

But, I want something more than that.

I want just to be me.

Seems sort of simple right?

Considering most kids my age

Want candy or clothes,

I suppose so.

Well, I guess the simple things in life really do mean the most.

Like that time I gave Lucy my favorite pencil in class because her only pen snapped,

Or when I gave my neighbor,

Not the stock broker, the elderly man with the burgundy 1989 Cadillac

A basket of Christmas cookies.

I like giving things.

Because I like when people are happy.

You see,

Giving is good,

Because when we share,

We give a little bit of ourselves to the world.

That's what we need in this big place we call home.

Just a little bit of love

To show much how we care about eachother,

How much the world means to us

Or what the world even means.

 

I'm proud to say that when I grow up,

I do want to be known.

But not for an actress.

I want to be known as a giver.

Don't take this message the wrong way,

Acting is fantastic.

It’s utterly breathtaking,

Thrilling,

Chilling,

Amazing.

I love to do it.

Why?

Because giving somebody a laugh 1,000 miles away

Or making somebody smile,

Or even just giving somebody a tiny taste of hope

Is something I would be honored to do.

That's my dream, Mr. Walt Disney.

That's why I'm here,

Because I don’t just want to be an actor,

I want to be active.

Today,

I want my voice to be heard.

I want to make people happy”.

There was no applause or anything.

I figured this was my curtain call.

“Thank you".

The cast agent sat there silently, drumming his fingertips on his sleek leather bound notepad.

He glanced down, scribbled something fast and nodded.

I assumed since I technically didn't do what he wanted--

Read the Pop Tart commercial,

I wasn't going to get into the program.

That was fine by me.

I just wanted people to listen to what I had to say.

And to be honest,

I don’t know why I said what I did.

That’s part of the beauty in acting,

Feelings just take the wheel

And emotions voluntarily drive you home.

But I’m sure of one thing:

I meant every word.

I looked in the crowd for my mom,

Who always gave me the thumbs up,

No matter what.  

But this time I saw her thumbs up,

But paired with silent sobs.

She was crying quietly,

Dabbing her blushed cheek with a napkin,

Smiling to herself.

Shucks,

I must of really messed this one up.

A week passed and the agent had called my house.

He offered me a spot in the program down in California,

But I politely declined the offer.

I told myself, in my twelve year old conscience,

That I could pursue my dream and give to others right in the heart of Hamilton, Massachusetts.

I didn't need to be on the big screen, some thousand miles away to

Put my dream into action.

Looking back on it,

I could not have been more right.

And besides, I like the snow here.

Generosity doesn't come from what clothes you wear

Or where you come from.

It comes from being yourself.

It’s not a question of jeans or genes.

You see, the great thing about generosity

Is that anybody-

Paul the mailman,

Joan the third grade teacher,

You--

Can be generous.

I'm proud to say that I'm known for being me,

The girl who rides horses every day,

Loves going grocery shopping,

Drinks green tea

And tutors the boy down the street two times a week.

I’m not an actress,

I’m just me.

Miss Lauren Elizabeth Pippins.

But now that you know my dream--

My dream of giving others happiness--

You can just call me Laur.