Since we were kids, my brother has always been a performer. Whether he’d be performing for a small crowd at the playground or delivering a speech in front of our church congregation, he’s a showstopper who possesses a robust personality and the characteristics of someone you would consider to be a star for sure.
Earlier this year, a group of girlfriends and I went to see him perform spoken word at a nightclub in the city. It was standing-room only in the club, so I was uber-excited to see if my brother was going to be able to deliver.
When it came to his turn, and he walked up to the mic, I could tell that he was in trouble. He looked out into the crowd and just went blank; he froze. Our eyes met, and I tried to give him reassurance from a distance that he could do it, but he never recovered. He was booed off the stage, and the next act came up.
He didn’t want to talk about the incident at all, but I tried to broach the subject delicately a few days later. I suggested that he look for a 9-to-5 job so he could start saving money to get off my couch and into his own apartment, at the very least. He retorted, saying that he couldn’t work a 9 to 5 because that would be taking time away from chasing his dream. He begged for an additional couple of months, and we moved on to another subject.
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This past weekend was my brother’s single release party. He had about 25 people in attendance at the venue, and we were all very excited to hear the debut of his new music. After the first few plays, the crowd didn’t really seem all that receptive. There were claps here and there and a couple of yelps, but for the most part, the mood was not upbeat at all. At that moment, I decided that my brother may very well be chasing a dream that will never be realized.
Should I burst his bubble and kill his dream or continue to support his efforts to become the next Drake?
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