Okay, I apologize now, because this reply is going to be a little long. (Meaning it's going to be EXTREMELY long.) But I thought this was pertinant to the subject..
This is actually a children's story that I wrote 2-3 weeks ago, in the form of a PowerPoint presentation, for my Keyboarding class in Summer School. I find is slightly ironic that I wrote this story, and then a couple weeks later the topic of racism comes up.
At any rate, this story is really based off my own life experiences. I see a lot of myself in the character, Daisy. When you read it you'll see why..
Music To Save The WorldBy Aiyana Catori
This book is dedicated to My Mom
You were the first to bring me up to Maine and show me just how great our Native American culture really is. Thank you for always supporting me in all my efforts, whether futile or surprisingly productive. Your influence has gone far, and I’m glad you pushed me to write this story that I’ve been thinking of for so long.
I love you Mom.
You rock.Once Upon A Time..
In a land not so far away, there was a girl named Lomasi Mahal. In her tribe’s language, it meant Pretty Flower Woman, but everyone called her Daisy.
Every day, Daisy’s mother would drive the old beat up pick-up truck to bring Daisy to and from school. Daisy was very embarrassed of her mother, and she was made fun of a lot; she was called “red skin” and “poor savage,” and the children told her that she was not in fact a pretty flower, but an ugly earth baby.
Daisy never had anyone to play with during recess, and she often sat in the grass alone wishing she were at the school on the reservation with her friends back home. Sadly, even the teachers did not help Daisy.
Daisy learned to deal with the snickering remarks of other children, and she became a scholarly student. She studied hard, and her teachers greatly respected her.
Though Daisy learned to love sitting in the grass alone, there was something more that she learned to love. It was something that allowed her to release all the tension, and energy, and anger, and sadness, and express her every emotion.
Music
Daisy learned to love music more than anything else in the world. She learned to play guitar, and harmonica, and piano, and she even sang. During recess, she would sit in the grass alone and write down thoughts and ideas, which eventually turned into songs.
By the time Daisy was a senior in high school, she was one of the best musicians in the state, and she won many awards and was offered many scholarships for it.
Daisy decided to go to the Crane Institute of Music to pursue her love. She studied hard and learned to play flute and clarinet and saxophone and trumpet fluently.
She graduated at the top of her class, and we even offered a recording deal with a large Native American record label, Singing Wolf Records. Daisy was honored to be offered a spot on a record label with great musicians such as J.J Kent, and Shayla.
Daisy signed with Singing Wolf, and she traveled all over the world playing her music in world class venues, with world class musicians. She met many amazing people and she could tell many amazing stories. Daisy’s life was one that every musician only dreams about. And yet, something just was not right…
Soon it was time for Daisy’s ten year reunion from high school. Originally Daisy did not want to go, but her mother suggested that she should. And so Daisy went.
When she got there, she learned that many of the people who had made fun of her living conditions when she was younger were now living in similar conditions. She found out that many of the girls who back then were considered pretty and popular now worked hard jobs and were tired.
Daisy knew that it was wrong, but she felt happy. Daisy herself had grown up beautifully and was now very successful and very famous; there were pictures and drawing of her face everywhere. Everyone wanted to talk to her and pretend that
they had been her friend, but Daisy did not allow it. When Daisy was asked to give a speech to her fellow students, this is what she said..
“As children you were vicious.
You made fun of me and hurt my feelings; you wouldn’t let me play games with you during recess, and yet now you want to be friends with me? Think about what you have done.
And yet I rose away from it. I’m successful now because I was made strong by your taunting and your torture. It’s terrible that I feel so satisfied to be here today, and yet I think more needs to be said.
I need to ask one favor of you all; consider it your retribution of your heinous deeds from so long ago.. Do not let your children, or your children’s children be as you were. Teach them that skin color and money do not matter.
What matters is the person, who they are and how they are. Teach them to keep an open mind, and to embrace diversity. If you do this for me, you can consider yourselves forgiven. Please, do this for me.”
The crowd was silent for a long moment, and Daisy thought that perhaps she had chosen the wrong time to confront her childhood demons. But then, from the back of the room, there came a slow clap. Soon everyone joined in, and the room reverberated.
A single tear ran down Daisy’s cheek as she walked off the stage and back into the crowd. People came to her from everywhere, apologizing for what they’d done, promising that
their children would learn different morals than they had been taught so long ago. Daisy thanked each and every one of them, shaking their hands.
Daisy continued to tour and make music into middle age. She met a fine young Sioux man, Chayton, (which means falcon), and they were married.
Daisy stopped touring when she found out that she was carrying a child, and she and Chayton had two more beautiful children. They grew up wonderfully, and after they went off to college,
Daisy and Chayton started a charity organization to promote peace and an end to racism.
Today, Daisy and Chayton travel all around the United States lecturing where they are asked to come, and sometimes they even stand on corners just because they can.
Their lives are good and they are happy with
what they are doing.
THE END
About The AuthorAiyana Catori is a student at ES-M High School. She has written
many stories, and two of her children's stories have been
published in local newspapers. Aiyana loves to read, write, take pictures, and play music. She has five cats, a dog, a turtle, and a fish named Bob, and she loves them all very much. Aiyana plans on attending Cornell University for Animal Sciences and Photography, while also earning a degree with the American Indian Program. She is very proud of her Passamaquoddy heritage. You can look for Aiyana playing solo acoustic shows live around Central New York.
http://www.myspace.com/aiyanacatorihttp://www.syracuseska.com