Friendships and joy through Clay

Hello everyone,

Summer's drawing to a close, and Clay's tour - officially called "An Evening With Clay Aiken" (but unofficially: "Between a Soft Rock and a Hard Place Tour") - ended in Orlando, Florida a week ago today. Has it really only been a week? It feels like much longer ago that I was attending online cellcerts (CELLphone conCERTS) and hearing what witty, hilarious and/or touching thing Clay was doing or saying at a particular concert.

I feel fortunate to have been able to see one concert this summer (see my concert recap here) and I hope to be able to attend one of his upcoming winter concerts not too far from me, in December.

The joy that Clay brings to my life is difficult to describe. There is, of course, his Voice. In my opinion, (one of) the strongest male vocalist around today. There is no other I hear who moves me so much - to love, to ache, to cry... to feel. There are incredible voices out there, but Clay is in a league of his own.

And then, there is his personality and his charisma: Clay's charming self-deprecatory banter, his goofiness, his ability to laugh at the small things in life and not take himself too seriously, his all-encompassing and focused attention to the person he is with, his love and respect for all human beings, no matter our colour, gender, age, disAbility, size...

His compassion and social activism, well, there's no question he wins me over there. He is committed to working for inclusion, particularly inclusion of children who happen to have an intellectual disability and are marginalized because of this, but who are nevertheless children, deserving of love and inclusion in all aspects of life.

And last but not least, Clay gives me joy through the connections I have made with other Clay fans. I guess I started this blog almost two years ago now, for two reasons: to connect with other Clay fans, and to express my feelings about Clay using my favourite medium: the written word. Now, my blog isn't the biggest or most-visited Clay fan blog or site, for sure, but I have "met" other fans through this, as well as through Clay's official online fan club. I visit the fan club's message boards, and occasionally, other boards such as The Clayboard, but somehow for me, what I like best is to chat live with other Clay fans.

Almost a year ago now, the online fan club set up a new feature: a chat room. It didn't take me long to knock on the door, go in and get to know a bunch of regular online chatters. Mostly women, of all ages and geographical locations, but all brought together by our admiration for Clay and the joy that he gives us. Some chatters I connect with more than others, of course, due to personality and interests, which is normal. And who knows? Perhaps real-life friendships will result from some of these online bonds of affection and common interests. I hope so. I think they will.

This morning on YouTube, I discovered a montage put up just hours ago by "suereu", called "Clay, Thanks for the Memories". If you are a Clay fan, you will love it! For a walk back down some of the fun and touching moments of this summer's tour, check it out: