Last night I checked another item off the bucket list - sang solo the national anthem before a ball game, namely before a Normal Cornbelters semi-pro baseball game. I've sung the song in the shower and around the house a thousand times and always thought that it was a good fit for my voice.
I geared my day toward having a well-prepared voice for the 7:00 performance.
Drank a glass of water every hour. Scaled back on the usual dosage of starchy or salty foods, consumed no sugar, but did eat regular-sized meals throughout the day.
Ditched sunbathing even though it was a gorgeous day for it.
After my tutoring appointment ended at 2:00, knowing that I'd be largely idle of physical activity and risking a body cool-down over the next five hours, I hopped into a sweatsuit to stay regulated. Then a half hour prior to leaving for the stadium, I strolled outside in the sweatsuit to see if it would be too hot (which it was, I went with short-sleeves).
And of course, I rehearsed the song. Mindful not to overdo it and tire my voice, but I did walk around outdoors to simulate the environment during a couple of the practice runs. Played around with different break points to breathe, with different pitches, different ways of squeezing my diaphragm to get the most relaxed yet steady sound.
Earlier this week I had come across a "worry stone" - something that Mom gave me to help me sleep as a child, by rubbing my thumb over the smooth-worn surface of the quarter-sized flat rock. This one had the word "Courage" inscribed on it as well. And it actually did add some confidence to me, so that I was holding it in one hand while performing.
God gave me plenty of support too. The weather was ideal. A friend of mine happened to be standing near the field entrance to give me something to occupy my mind leading up to the kick-off moment.
Finally, I found myself behind home plate facing center field with a video camera in my face and a stadium of fans, ballplayers and umpires silently waiting for me to lead them, as my name was announced over the loudspeaker.
In short, it went great.
Dena recorded the moment on my phone, and the applause sounds surprisingly loud to me. It was cool to be able to do it as part of the 4th of July weekend for a little added emotional significance. The umpires thanked me, the Cornbelters manager shook my hand, a few fans complimented me on the walk back.
I have a feeling I'll be crossing this one off my bucket list a few more times in my life!
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