Catholic Singles

HIDDEN FROM OURSELVES
BY: MARK ANTHONY ROSOLOWSKI

Why do others see things in us that we either can not see or we refuse to see? I have been wondering about this for the last few months. I have always enjoyed writing, putting my thoughts down on paper, thinking maybe someday it will help someone. However, as one is growing up, parents are given the things we do as we ask for their approval. Unwittingly, they find the faults with what we have done, and they do not look beyond the flaws and encourage us to do better. We will hear about the misspellings, the errors in grammar and punctuation, we express a dream to write and are told we are not good enough. I am sure it is not out of cruelty or meanness it is simply that they do not look at the trials of a child as attempts; they are use to adult things and expect children to be that good in order to succeed.

I loved to write but was told about my misspellings and grammar errors and punctuation that I eventually gave up on sharing my works, when I was 14 I was not the next Shakespeare so I might as well stop sharing and letting others hear my words. I had a friend who loved to draw, he was always doodling in notebooks, on any scrap of paper he could find, he bought all types of pencils and erasers and art paper, he practiced and when he would show the work to his parents they criticized his perspectives, his shadowing, the proportions of the things he drew, arms were too long, legs were too short. He stopped sharing his work and just drew and put the pictures away, he was ashamed that by 14 he was not a Michelangelo. Another friend loved to write music, he would spend hours writing down notes and playing them, erasing and trying again, he attempted to get the music just right. He spent months on one song including the lyrics and when he played it for his parents they found the tone quality to be off, the tempo changed rapidly, he put his music away, at 14 he was not Mozart.

The three of us hid the talents given to us from God in desk drawers and in boxes because we were not experts at the age of 14, fault was found in what we did and we knew we would never be famous or even good so why try. But, of course we all had that hidden inner love and desire, we never acknowledged ourselves, but I kept refining my writing, throwing most away, but knowing that everything I wrote got better with the passage of time, I did improve but I would never be good enough. My friend the artist, he has sold many works of his art, his passion in the local galleries. He went to college on an Art Scholarship and came back home to teach art in the high school. My third friend went to college, he studied music, he has played in concert halls in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and his latest accomplishment was to play with the Boston Pops.

I am still working on my writing, not famous yet, have not really written anything noteworthy, but many have told me how my words have affected them, how my words go to their heart and say what they feel. I am striving to the day when I will see my name on a book in a book store, my words of inspiration reaching thousands. Just think of the amount of people we could have all reached if we could have seen our hidden talents and were encouraged to develop them.

Maybe that is the simple answer, we do not see what our talents are because we are not always encouraged to develop them and after that we become discouraged and are afraid to share what we have in our hearts. I have a friend who is now a great singer, his voice brings smiles to thousands, he started in school as an entertainer, making us all laugh, Michael remember, “They are laughing at you, not with you.” To everyone do not be afraid to be laughed at, go out develop your talents and render unto God the gift He gave you.