An Unforgettable Moment

We all have at least one moment where a dream comes true, or at least the moment comes when all the elements combine to make it special, and it will last forever in our memories.

When I was very young, in the early to mid 60s, I remember watching the Ed Sullivan show, and hearing someone, for the first time, singing "The Impossible Dream." It became my absolute favorite song at that moment in time, even though now I can't recall who it was who sang it on that night.

But that's okay; Man of La Mancha became "the" play I someday had to see, just to hear that song in its original context. It was around 1978 when the musical was scheduled to be performed at one of the biggest theatres in downtown Boston, with Richard Kiley performing as Don Quixote--a role he had made famous, and whose rendition of "The Impossible Dream" was one of the best and most recognized.

I went with several friends that night. We had front row seats. I sat on the end set, middle section, front row. The play was good, although we couldn't see some of the action in the very back of the stage, but it really didn't matter to me, as seeing La Mancha was, in itself, a delight. But then, it came time for Kiley to sing "The Impossible Dream."

And guess what? He didn't perform it "onstage"--he came down the stairs in the very front of the stage--right in front of me--less than 3 feet away!--and sang it. For the duration of that song, time stood still, and Richard Kiley performed "The Impossible Dream" to ME, specifically, even if it was in my own mind.

Years past, and in 1992, I attended the Genesis Awards in Beverly Hills. The Awards are handed out to movies, TV shows, music and other arenas of entertainment by the Ark Trust, to celebrate animal rights issues as they come up in these areas. A lot of Hollywood people attend and are part of the Trust, and it is great to see animal rights issues are supported by so many. And that is where I met Richard Kiley for the second time. And it was after the awards, and I went up to meet him, and I told him about the night of the play. He laughed, but was a very nice man, and shook my hand before heading off to whatever engagement he had made after the awards. It was important that he know how much his performance had meant to me, and I was so very glad to tell him.


This was an unforgettable moment for me. So many times we are treated to something which is worth more than money, that is part of our dreams, and is essential to us in ways that no one would ever know or even understand. When these moments happen, we can't help but think about how so serendipitous it is to have that moment occur, without any planning and without any artifice.

So--what was an unforgettable moment for you? :)