A four-year journey... and counting!

Hello everyone,

It seems hard to believe, but it was actually four years ago today that Clay Aiken came into my life - oh, sorry, our lives.

This talented and loving young man doesn't know it, but knowing him has given me so much joy in my life, a greater appreciation for everything, a desire to be better, and focus more on love in every aspect of my life.

It has been an extraordinary journey for us Claymates, following OMC (Our Man Clay) over the past few years, watching him grow as a singer and as a man, and growing along with him, and each other.

I never would have thought I would become a devoted fan of anyone, to the degree I am with Clay - I found that sort of tacky and desperate, before. But when Clay appeared on my tv four years ago, walking out quietly and confidently to sing to Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson (how I wish Paula Abdul had been there that day - I would have loved to see and hear her first reaction to Clay!), when he opened his mouth and pearls of sound came out, I was hooked, then and forever.

I had tape-recorded American Idol that evening, so at the end of the show, I replayed over and over the audition of that geeky-looking kid from Raleigh with the confidence to say he could have been in the previous year's top ten, each time with tears in my eyes. I did so many times for the next few weeks, each week hoping Clay would move on to the next stage of Idol. And despite being voted off at one point, he did make it to the end, the final two officially. But unofficially, he was the real, true winner of American Idol that year - it doesn't seem possible to me that he lost, after having been the only person in the top 10 that year to never have been voted into the bottom three, having received consistently the highest number of votes, etc. The voting system had to be rigged on finale night, for whatever reason at the time, and however that happened technically. I don't see any other way in which Clay could have lost to Ruben, because he was certainly way more popular, and in my opinion - though I do like and admire Ruben - way more talented and charismatic.

Four years later, we know that Clay has generated the biggest fan base, sold the most CDs and concert tickets, of any American Idol top-10 finalist ever (after five completed seasons now!), including the winners - except for Kelly Clarkson, an amazing talent herself.

Regardless, even if Clay had not won in any way over the past few years, I would still love and admire him - the singer, the man, the human being who is such a contribution to peace in this world, just by being who he is.

Congratulations on the past four years, Clay! Here's to at least 44 more! Let's celebrate, ClayNation!

-- ClayKat

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