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Somewhere Over the RainbowBy: Morris Heldt / A Senior’s P.O.V.Here we are again with a chance to watchAmerican Idol, The Voice, or America’sGot Talent. Every year I tell myself that I knowthe bottom line to this - manipulated stories to pull on our heartstringsto increase TV ratings.And, as my wife has told me many times, I truly am an old softiegetting sucked into certain contestants’ hardships and rooting for themto find their pot of gold somewhere over the rainbow.I am quick to notice that this year’s shows seem to have concentratedon talent more than the previous years, only showcasing singers thatcan actually “carry a tune.” The one thing that hasn’t changed thoughis that most of these wannabe stars have continued to hear how goodthey are primarily from their friends and family and not the payingpublic; although there are a few professional ones sprinkled in and arealready making a living off their talent.Even though I understand how the networks stage-manage the talentand even their on air performances (and if they make a mistake theeditors take care of keeping the show on track) I still find it enjoyableto watch. I love the enthusiasm of young people running toward thatrainbow.However, I feel chasing the rainbow isn’t for just the young, but forall of us. So, if you have a moment watch one of these shows and seethese young people going for their dreams. You might find yourselfthinking back when you were going for your dreams.I hope I never stop going for the pot of gold, because chasing a dreamis a joy in life. So don’t give up on rainbows because you are older thanthese wannabe singers.Your feelings are no less important. And, ultimately isn’t the purposeof life is to feel good?Morris Heldt is a retired award winning film and televisionproducer and published author. He and his wife moved to the LasVegas valley from the beach in 2004.30May 2020