Sanjaya Malakar

Okay, I'm diverting my attention here because I want to recognize talent. I'm not really a huge American Idol fan, but I did buy Chris Daughtry's album, which is amazing. I also did catch the Seattle and Memphis auditions this year. It was fun. In those two shows one kid stood out to me. His name is Sanjaya Malakar. You can see his audition here. Now I realize that if you are reading this you've probably seen more than me. But something in this kid is different. There is a grace about his smile and a real talent in his voice. I agreed with Simon that although his sister was good, he was great. Some people really like him. And some people don't. Regardless, I want to recognize his talent because he has it.

He did make it on to the final 24 and it will be interesting to see how his talent shows up this season. I may just have to catch a few episodes to see.

One thing that I also really liked was how much his family seems to shape him. In his interview he would thank his family first. During the auditions it was clear that his family played a strong role in his development. It shows in his smile. The image that stood out to me was of his proud father smiling from ear to ear after his children had made it to Hollywood. I love that type of image of family in the media. It reminds me that it is still possible and probable.

My best to you Sanjaya. May God smile on you this year.