The Commercial

I have always wanted to... more like needed to be an actress. Whether it be in a play, movie or even just a small commercial. I had to. There was no doubt that acting was my thing, even though I had never done it before (unless you count being in the comfort of my own home and only in front of my family). I enjoyed working backstage while the older students at my school would put on brilliant performances like Mcbeth and Hamlet. As I would watch every musical that I could strain my eyes to see, I would ache to be on the stage acting along with the rest of them. If only’s were all that I could say though. 

If only I started when I was younger.

If only I were bolder. 

If only I could be like them. 

If only I were better. 

People would tell me that I was still young and that I was bold. I was told that I could be like them and some told me that I was better. I didn't believe it for a second. It was okay though. I could get through life without having to be an actress. I could find a decent job and maybe get married. Start a life of my own. One day my dream would be forgotten and I would be fine without fulfilling it. Then, an opportunity arose:

It was another hot summer day in Florida. The sun beaming down on my back as I roamed through our woods. How cool it would have been to be in The Hunger Games or in Harry Potter. I thought to myself for the hundredth time this week. You’re the face that people would have seen when they thought of Hermione or of Katniss. My hopeless dreams were interrupted by a car pulling down our long driveway. Wondering who it was, I put my bag over my shoulder and walked up to the house. 

When I got to the house I could see that both my parents were talking to somebody.

Once my parents saw me they mentioned for me to come to them so I did. It turned out that the people they were talking to were trying to make a commercial for the hospital that I was born at and they needed a child to say a few lines. They told us that they would pay well and that they could film it right in our house. My parents said that they would be fine with it and because I was the oldest out of all of my siblings, I was given the lines to practice and they said that they would come back tomorrow to film it. 

My first thought was excitement. Then slowly all of the joy and happiness turned to nerves and anxiety. I had never done anything like this before, I needed to do this perfectly. Although it was only a few lines and although it would not be life changing, it mattered a lot to me. All night I went over the lines until I could say them in my sleep. I lined up my parents and all of my siblings along with their stuffed animals to say my lines so that I could practice. I had put on thousands of plays and skits in front of them so it was easy but what I was really nervous about was saying it with cameras all around me. 

My nerves prevented me from getting much sleep that night and when I woke up, I was exhausted. Once the camera crew, director and all of the other people showed up my nerves had gotten even worse than the night before. They said that they would start with a scene of me riding my bike which I was grateful for because I was not ready to say anything yet. I hopped on my bike and the camera crew told me to ride at them but to stop when I got a few feet away. They also said not to look straight into the camera and that I should smile. 

As I started riding down the sidewalk, I avoided looking at the camera and saw my neighbor. I smiled at her and then noticed that I was a few feet away from the man who was holding the camera. I stopped my bike and they said that the film was perfect. After I put my bike in the garage and got a drink of water they said that it was time for me to say my lines. I looked over the script one last time and then walked over to the spot they told me to stand at. 

The director down from three and once he said one I started my lines. I was told to look at the camera this time so I did. Once I said a few words, I kind of got into the swing of things and delivered the rest of my lines with a huge smile on my face. After I finished everyone looked happy because I delivered them just the way I was intended to. My parents said a few lines that they had memorized the night before and then the director said to keep an eye out for our commercial on TV. 

A few months later I saw my parents faces appear on the screen during a football game. Once it was over I realized that they had cut my lines out completely. The commercial was only a couple seconds long. It showed my parents lines and then a little clip of me riding my bike. I had no idea what I was feeling at the time. I was proud that I was on TV but I wasn't shown in the way I thought I was going to be. My lines that I had practiced were completely disregarded and thrown away. It was okay though. At least I had a small part in my acting career. Maybe just maybe someday in the future I would get another, better opportunity.