When we were young, some friends of ours produced and directed plays. One year, they decided upon You Can't Take it With You. Mara and Jonathan had gotten parts in the play and there was one slot left. It was the part of a G-Man who didn't say anything, all he did was walk on stage and then walk off.
But that didn't matter to Ian. Ian desperately wanted the part. He tried out for it, and then spent the next several days hoping he would get it. When the casting was finalized, Ian saw that the part had gone to someone else.
He was very upset. I remember Ian sitting by Mom on the porch crying. Mom tried to console him, but it was no use. She told him that one day she would direct a play and Ian could portray the main character. I didn't believe Mom and neither did Ian. After a couple days, Ian got over his disappointment and the incident passed from my mind.
Several years later we moved to Indiana. Ian became involved in our local homeschool group and he decided to participate in drama. He auditioned for (and got) the part of Bob Cratchit in A Christmas Carol. Sadly, the drama director was retiring. A Christmas Carol was the last play she was going to direct. The board of directors for our homeschool group was looking for a new drama director. So Mom said she would do it.
After much contemplation, Mom decided it would be fun to produce You Can't Take it With You. The auditions came and went and Mom spent a lot of time casting the various parts. Finally, she was able to decide. She cast Ian as Tony Kirby, one of the main characters.
At that time, none of us remembered the day Mom had told Ian she would direct a play he could be in. It was a slight incident that had passed from my memory completely. However, a few days ago I just happened to remember the day when Ian and I scoffed at the words Mom had comfortingly said to Ian, that she would direct a play and he would get a role. I had laughed out loud. I had thought, "Yeah right, that'll never happen." But it did. So I am offering a word to the wise: Never disbelieve your Mother.