When You Keep Marching On

A LIFE LESSON FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH

For a slice of my youth I was a passionate baton twirler who marched in parades and twirled competitively it was through one such competition a valuable life lesson was imparted to me.

It was the marching event. The easiest of all of the events. The baton never leaves your hand. You simply march in a square formation, keeping in step to the beat of band music while holding good posture and turning each corner with military precision.

Everything is measured in angles. The left arm extends out to a 90 degree and stays there while marching legs also lift at a 90 degree angle. The right hand holds the baton at a 45 degree angle in a continuous up and down “one-two” cadence. Add a smile and “poise” to the mix and that concludes a proper march.

In the midst of one such march the unthinkable happened. I dropped the baton – a full point deduction - similar to falling off the balance beam, which would later happen during my high school years. It is here that a curious thing happened. Perhaps it was instinct, because without thought and without missing a beat I simply scooped up the baton, finished my course, saluted the judges, and left the floor.

I don’t remember the level of my dismay, as I do my pre-competition jitters, but what I also remember is having no expectations of placing in any rank. Therefore, my surprise was complete when my name was called for the first-place finish. It was in this moment the value of continuing on was imparted to me, and this lesson has served me well…

…Because I continue to drop batons in my life and march with imperfect steps, but I’ve come to trust that as I continue to move forward in my life to the best of my ability, there is great reward…

Yvonne Mutch, 3.25.25