Graduation Speech: The Fall Of Freddie The Leaf

There is a picture of a benevolent-looking elderly gentleman with me on my desk. He was small, but made a big contribution to our society. He is a well-respected physician, Dr. Hinohara who passed away in July. I would like to talk about his musical and the life-changing experience I gained from him. Eight years ago, my mother took me to a musical. The children playing as leaves shone brilliantly in my eyes. Their vivid performance absolutely fascinated me. This musical,“The Fall of Freddie the Leaf ”was the very musical that gave me an opportunity to meet Dr. Hinohara. He wrote the script for this musical based upon an American picture book. Extremely attracted to the musical, I dreamed of performing. To make my dream come true, I started practicing singing and ballet. My continuous efforts brought me the chance to audition for two famous musicals. I hesitated about which audition

In summer he and his companion leaves gave shade for people. It was their purpose for living. After fall foliage season, in winter he fell from his branch. It makes us think about the meaning of life, the circle of life, and the eternity of life. "Will we all die?" "Why were we here at all if we only have to fall and die?" These are Freddie’s lines. How would you answer to the question? At rehearsal the director’s words gave the cast a great shock. “Living each day means getting closer to death day by day.” Moreover,“How should we live within the limited time we are given? Keep that in mind on stage.” All living things are mortal and it is the way of the world, nevertheless we are all afraid of dying. One day the director took me to a hospital to meet Dr. Hinohara. My heart was racing. In spite of his old age, he was quite vigorous. In his words I felt warmth and compassion. He told me, “I want you to deliver a message of life.” Since I hadn’t thought seriously about life and death, I was about to face a tremendous