Read My Lips

When I was in the 3rd grade at Our Lady Of Mt. Carmel School, my class was in the Christmas play. Our class (all 45 of us!) were to sing the last 3 Christmas Carols. During one of our rehearsals Sister Superior pulled me aside and told me that during the rehearsals it was good to sing out, but on the night of the play I should just move my lips and not sing. I didn't think much of it. When I got home, my Aunt Eleanor was over and I told her and my mother what Sister Superior said. My Aunt Eleanor said, "Honey, during rehearsals you don't have to sing at all, save your voice for the night of the play. I'll be there, but I'll be all the way in the back and I want to be able to hear you. You sing out loud and clear for your Aunt Eleanor, okay?" "Okay." I was a pretty dumb kid, I had no idea that Sister Superior was dissing my voice. So, on the night of the play, I spotted Aunt Eleanor in the back of the auditorium, right under the big clock, and I sang out - loud. There was some pointing and laughter, but as I said, I was a dumb kid so I didn't know then that people were laughing at me. When I figured it out, like 5 years later, I was traumatised. It was a delayed trauma, but a trauma never the less. That's when I began to lip sync. So every once in awhile, when I open my mouth to pretend to sing in church and I hear a beautiful sound, I am confused. But, alas, the sound is coming from my daughter - she sings like an angel. I wonder if Sister Superior can read my lips................