Year One: Huh? Oh. OK. That's for the mega-voiced, dramatic ladies. I might sing a Norn one day.
Year Two: I wanna sound like that Brünnhilde SOO bad. She has the most beautiful voice in the world. But I'll always be mini. Maybe I could be a mini-her.
Year Three: WAGNER! Me? OK. I will work my ass off till I can sing Eva.
Year Four: I am a Wagner singer now. I can sing Wagner. But I'll always be one of those mini-Wagner-sopranos. Always.
Year Five: (Hears for the 8 billionth time that she will always be a lyric singer. Never really a dramatic one).
Year Six: More Wagner. More Strauss. Oh, what it must be like to be one of those big-voiced Brünnhildes! (Sigh).
Year Seven: Ooooo....you want me to sing a Valkyrie? At Bayreuth? The one that was traditionally the baby Brünnhilde? Yass! But of course, I'll always be a baby one. Not a real one.
Year Eight: Sieglinde? Awesome! See, this is just right. This is the mini-Brünnhilde, but not ever going to be Brünnhilde, but she at least gets to be on stage a lot with Brünnhilde.
Year Nine: Have I thought about it, you ask? Ummm...well yes. A few times. It will never happen, especially seeing as I am not famous and never will be famous. And Brünnhildes have to be famous.
Year Ten: My craft is my focus. Enough of singing roles. I will teach, I will direct, I will write, I will sing in small places, and I will forget about Brünnhilde.
Year Eleven: Dear God, whatever happens in my life from this point on will be destiny, and not foreseeable, and I will accept it. However, my deepest desire is to sing Brünnhilde. Just so you know.
Year Twelve: Isolde. OK. Now we're running out of excuses.
Year Thirteen: I'M WAITING!!!!!
Year Fourteen: Brünnhilde.
Year Fifteen Onwards : The rest of life.
Image by Opus Photography Toronto