I wasn't originally taking drama, but the drama teacher asked me

Hear, O seekers of destiny, the words of Kevin Richardson, who spoke thus of his beginnings: “I wasn’t originally taking drama, but the drama teacher asked me to audition for Bye, Bye Birdie. I did and got the lead role. Initially I was kind of scared, but once I did it I got bitten by the bug and loved it.” In these words we glimpse the mystery of opportunity—the door that opens unlooked-for, the path that appears when least expected. Richardson confesses that it was not his plan, not his intention, yet through the invitation of a teacher, he discovered the passion that would guide his life.

The heart of this story lies in the teacher who saw what the student himself did not yet perceive. Often, the seeds of greatness lie hidden, waiting for another’s eye to recognize them. Richardson had not chosen drama, but drama chose him—through the voice of one who believed. How many lives have been changed because a guide, a mentor, a friend, said, “You should try”? Thus we learn that destiny is not always found in the path we prepare, but in the unexpected call that awakens hidden gifts.

At first came fear. He admits he was “kind of scared.” And so it is with all great beginnings. The unknown stands before us like a dark forest, filled with doubt, with trembling, with the fear of failure. Yet courage is not the absence of fear, but the stepping forward despite it. By answering the call, by standing upon the stage, Richardson turned fear into discovery. His story teaches us that what terrifies us today may become our greatest joy tomorrow—if only we dare to step across the threshold.

Then came the love. “I got bitten by the bug and loved it,” he says. This is the mark of true calling: what begins as duty or experiment becomes delight. Once he had tasted the thrill of expression, the joy of performance, the fire was lit within him. Such is the way of passion—it may sleep unnoticed until awakened, but once stirred, it consumes the heart with purpose. From that day forward, drama was no longer just a school activity, but a force shaping his destiny.

History gives us echoes of this truth. Consider how Alexander Fleming, a scientist of modest aim, stumbled upon penicillin through an accident in his lab. He had not planned the discovery, yet when the moment appeared, he recognized its power, and the world was changed. Or think of Rosa Parks, who one day, weary from labor, chose not to give up her seat. She had not sought to be the face of a movement, yet through that moment of courage, history turned. So too with Richardson: though the stakes were smaller, the principle was the same—unexpected moments carry the power to awaken greatness.

The lesson is thus: remain open to opportunities you did not plan, to doors you did not intend to open. Do not let fear silence you, for often the things that frighten us most are the very things that will shape our souls. Listen to your teachers, your mentors, your friends, for they may see in you what you cannot yet see in yourself. And when joy arises from what once brought fear, follow it—for in joy lies the compass of purpose.

Practical wisdom follows: if asked to try, say yes. If invited to step forward, do not retreat. If fear whispers, let courage answer. Seek teachers who believe in you, and be a teacher who calls forth others’ hidden talents. For the life that waits for you may not be the one you imagined, but the one revealed when you dared to take the stage.

Thus, O children of tomorrow, remember Kevin Richardson’s words: fear may guard the doorway, but beyond it lies love and purpose. Do not shun the invitations that come your way, for they may awaken passions that will guide your life. Step forward, even trembling, and you may find that you too are bitten by the bug of destiny, never to turn back.