Beware! They may be laughing at you, not with you.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Foster_Jenkins

Florence Foster Jenkins (1868-1944)

"People say I can't sing, but they can't say I didn't sing!"

Sometimes fame and fortune goes to our head. We think people around us who appear happy laughing away actually laugh with us. We believe we have such an aura that draws us to our wit and charisma. We think we have that innate charm to seduce people to yearn to be in our presence. We believe that they are having such a good time, laughing with us at our jokes. The truth, however, may be far from that. They may actually be laughing AT us!

I heard a podcast recently of a lady in the early twentieth century who refused to accept her inadequacies of being an operatic singer.

Since she was young, she had been interested in being a singer. Seeing her lack of aptitude, her father denied her of her wish. Luck came to Ms Jenkins in the form of a handsome inheritance after her parents separated and her mother subsequently passed away.

With her newfound wealth (she earlier struggled to make ends meet with her meagre income as a music teacher), she enrolled the best teachers and trained in Europe. Many were disheartened with the ability of the student but admired her courage.

After that, it was a party and singing to a group of people who 'enjoyed' her work. She would criticise her detractors as being jealous of her ability. She managed to avoid big public performances till the age of 76, when she bowed to the pressures of her fans. She performed to a packed Carnegie Hall, which had never seen such a turnout since its inception.

The reviews in newspapers were scathing, to say the least. They crucified her performance and ridiculed her every note - even though the audience had a whaling good time. Even one of the songs was aptly named 'The Laughing Song'.

This final outing turned out to be the coup de grâce for Ms. Florence Foster Jenkins. She died of a massive heart attack a week after her Carnegie Hall performance!

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