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Growing up, I always loved acting and I always get happy when I am being selected to participate in the acting tours for my church because I get to meet different teen actors from different churches, to watch different characters and how they perform, it was always amazing. My church has a strong belief in passing messages through acting, for people to change their ways and come close to God.
For some good reasons and my talent, I became a valuable member of the teenager's group, and being among teenagers around my age was always fun, though we fought to argue and the funny part is when we try to act cool in front of the girls LOL! Trying to impress them with our acting was always a competition for the teenage boys, remembering all these takes me back to the sweet memories we had and shared.
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Talking about memories, I remember when we always go for camps around August; sometimes we spend 3 days, sometimes 5 -7 days. The reason for the camp was to train us, sharpen our skills in acting and we also get to move around the new town/environment exploring places, taking a picture and all. The rule was for us to always go in groups to avoid anyone getting lost and for security also. After a long day stroll and getting back to the campground, we get a bath, eat and relax, then called out to practice our lines for the next day's show or we go through our scripts to memorize them and be perfect in it. The acting we do is more like evangelism to making fun and jokes, and at the same time preaching and passing a message to the indigenous people of the community and we also share food and snacks for them at end of every show.
After spending my entire teenage years in the acting group and finally becoming an adult, it was time to finally choose a leader to coach the upcoming teenagers, it was exciting to become a leader but at the same time, it was going to be a tough challenge to choose a leader because there were so many people good to fit that role. Being a leader comes with great responsibilities, especially when it comes to an acting leader, you have to teach, direct, a source for shows and programs to attend and participate in, and also look for sponsors.
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I remember being nervous giving my speech on why I should be the leader, I was so nervous not because of the crowd, because have faced a lot of crowds when acting, I was nervous because I haven’t given a speech before that didn’t include acting not alone contest for leadership. After giving my speech, I got some applaud and walked down the altar, all nervous and sweating thinking if I could have done better or said more or if my words reached them. But from the impression other contestants got from the crowd, I knew I could have done better.
When the results rolled out, they started announcing the results starting from PRO, head of the instrumentalist, Coordinators down to treasurers and secretary, time for top leaders to be called, I wasn’t expecting my name to be called because I saw some performed better than I did and I have accepted my faith that I won’t be the leader/president of the group. Fortunately, I heard my name being mentioned as the vice president of the group, I was speechless and dumbfounded, because I never expected it, I was so excited and shocked by the news but I wished I was the president because it has always been part of my dream right from being a teenager.
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But along the line, the group failed due to bad leadership and decisions made by the president. Refusing to take suggestions and corrections, always wanting to be right and do things in his way and that led sponsors not coming in, stop receiving invitations, and also he wanted more of his script and not others contributing that also led to some of our actors and members leaving the group. It was so devastating and disappointing to our predecessors because they never believed the group will dissolve like that. After some months of trying to put the group together to make it work again, we just found ourselves not compatible again due to a long time of not practicing together and interacting.
After moving on from the group, a few years later I went back to check on them to see the growth, getting there, I learned that they had to remove the president and appoint someone else and the group got some new members and I saw some new young talents to practice, I was so happy and smiled at them and did some coaching and tips on how to catch their audience. I was asked if I still act but unfortunately, I told them no, I fell out of acting because life happened, found myself was drawn to other things and acting wasn’t among them.
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I love acting though, but going back to acting I would need some practice and to build my confidence again because stage fright has caught up with me… LOL! Maybe if I see my old partners and we get to stand together on a stage I might build myself up again but for now, the hustle is real and acting isn’t as easy as it was anymore, and being a professional actor comes with a lot of work. And a lot of work is something I am running from. Sometimes I still miss it and wish I had not quit doing it because sometimes I get to see my old friends on TV performing on some popular shows and I just wish I was there with them or I was the one there but unfortunately there’s nothing I can do anymore because I don’t think I even have the zeal and prowess anymore to do it
