Perspectives

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February 15, 2012 / Topics: /

A Star for St. Rafael

Stephen is a very special little boy. He’s cute as a button and has so much energy that it’s hard for any ordinary human being to keep up with him. He’s fascinated with elevators and, if left to his own devices, would ride from floor to floor for hours at a time.

There are other things that make Stephen special that aren’t quite so charming. At five, his language is almost indiscernible. Stephen has been diagnosed with an aural processing disorder. That means that there are errors in the neural connections that carry signals from his…

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January 16, 2012 / Topics: /

A Star for Victor

Some years ago, following a performance of which the details have long faded, someone from the audience approached me and, among other things, said, “You’re so gifted.” Responding dutifully according to my performance etiquette training, I graciously thanked the woman. But I remember thinking, “Gifted! What do you mean gifted? This was no gift. I practiced hours and hours for years and years in order to be able to do this. A gift is something that’s given to you, and if this is a gift, it sure isn’t free!”

It was several days later that I…

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