Goin' Pro

I've known for a long time that Lily would probably go into the entertainment business. I thought she would be a dancer. I suspected she would start young.

I did not think that the first time she was paid to perform, she would be two.

But it has happened.

Lily likes to dance. No, Lily loves to dance. She dances with the TV, she dances in the car from her carseat. She dances walking down the street. She dances in the elevator. Her favorite movies are "Peter Pan" and "Singing' in the Rain," and she often insists that everyone in the room join in her dance of joy. She has been known to dance with street musicians.

So when we saw two young men playing their guitars and singing at Mystic Seaport today, we anticipated the show that would follow. What we didn't anticipate was the crowd the gathered. Lily clapped and shook and spun with her hands in the air. When the faster song stopped, she stopped and applauded. And when a new, slower song started, she adjusted her moves accordingly.

The young men had an open guitar case on the ground to collect their tips, and several people dropped in change, and even a dollar here and there. But Lily was the one getting the attention. We watched with pride as Lily danced and laughed, and we watched in shock and amusement when a man approached with a dollar.

"This is for you," he said with a smile. "You're at least as good as the band."

And what did Lily do with her very first paycheck?

She tipped the musicians. She dropped the dollar in their case, grabbed her Grandpa's hand, and walked away.

Today was the day Lily lost her amateur status. And you have to admit, the girl's got class.