Along with the rest of America, I was immediately captivated by Susan Boyle’s inspiring performance on “Britain’s Got Talent.” Yet I am equally as dismayed at how quickly the discussion of Ms. Boyle’s extreme makeover has taken off.
What made the moment so special was not her singing as much as it was a worldwide audience’s reaction to it. We were able to drop our cynicism and delight in someone else’s dream being realized. The power of the moment is that we were transformed by her performance. Not that she, with her God-given talent, needs to be transformed. As one of the judges, Amanda, eloquently put it, “it was the biggest wake-up call.” I couldn’t agree more.

But was it really? It seems a real opportunity to discuss getting beyond the superficial is being lost, not to mention an opportunity to celebrate second chances in life. I know that’s what hit me the hardest in watching her performance. I think many of us carry around in us a spark of some hope or desire that has been almost snuffed out. Boyle is a beacon of hope that it is never too late to return to a hope deferred.
Boyle doesn’t need the makeover, we do.