The Talent Show






By: Jenna Blazek





On the evening of May 17, 2007, was an evening I thought I would never survive. It was the annual Girl Scout Talent Show. I, along with many others, was signed up. I wanted to show the world what my friends already knew. I was going to sing. It’s something I love doing, until you add the people. I don’t mind singing with my friends, or when I’m alone because they know me, and of course I know myself. So it’s pretty nerve wracking when you sing in front of a bunch of people that you don’t even know. I guess I just don’t like messing up and having everyone stare at me as the crickets chirp to the dead silence . I also don’t like making people jealous because they act like they’re out to get me. Anyway, I was going to sing Dancing Queen by the 70’s group Abba.




I remember standing in line (with my mom of course), my stomach feeling like butter churning. I was the next act, and I could tell something bad was going to happen, and boy was I right! I was standing in line minding my own business, calmed down when all of a sudden someone who had crept up behind me said, “Hello, we just got a schedule change so, we’ll be going next.” BANG! Right in the head! I couldn’t believe it. I got myself worked up and then calmed down only to have them cut in front of me. But I also felt relieved, because it wasn’t my turn. I relaxed a little as I listened to the cutting act’s crowd reaction. I guess they were warming the crowd up for me. It was great because I didn’t have to worry about messing up for at least three more minutes.




Finally my turn arrived. I could get this over with, stay for judging, and go home. ”Jenna Blazek” (Blah-zek in case you have a hard time with my last name ) they announced. My stomach did a 360 degree flip flop, my legs felt like jello, the lyrics along with music were running through my head. I calmed myself down again. But then they said the words I dreaded, “We’re having some technical difficulties with the CD player.”
OH NO! What if I have to sing without the CD and the CD player? Then for me the world would come to an end, but thankfully they found another CD player. From then on, things went great… up until the end. I was so into the song, the crowd roaring with cheer, that I forgot the rest of the lyrics. Lyrics that ran through my head all week. I gave them a signal they said to use if something was wrong, and this was very wrong. I ran as fast as I could, after the curtains closed, tears running down my cheeks that were painted red with embarrassment. I stopped a second to listen to my crowd’s reaction. “ Whoo! Yeah!” They screamed while clapping their hands that were red after all the ferocious clapping. Then suddenly a tiny smile spread across half my face. But then I thought they were clapping just to be polite. When I got backstage, little warm smiling faces were there to greet me. I still wanted to cry, even harder now. I felt like I had let my family down. Even worse, I felt like I let my little sister’s Brownie troop down.









Four acts later came the judging. “ Third place goes to….. Second place goes to….. And now the moment you’ve all waited for.” I sat down with my friends Kelsey and Ashlynn, fingers crossed and eyes closed. “First place goes to…. Miss Dancing Queen, Jenna Blazek!” I heard my name announced. My eyes got as big as baseballs, then dinner plates, because I just couldn’t believe it. I rushed to the stage to get my trophy.



What I thought would be the worst night of my life, turned out to be one of the best nights of my life.









"This will certify that the above work is completely original"

Jenna L. Blazek