#43: Even more beautiful now, inside and out!

[wandacleo]

Lion King was really wonderful! And, Billy Elliot was spectacular--we were so lucky to get tickets--partial view but worth every penny.

[justforfun]

And I'm sure that a lot of people supported Clay's charity because of Clay. And now they will put their money elsewhere. Sure you would hope that people who spent a lot of time supporting the charity would have built of an affinity for the actual cause... but I'm not surprised that clay was the drawing power for many. I remember a while back that they were going to change the name to something less "clay" but honestly hope they don't. I can understand why they would though. Anybody know anything about that?

Couch Tomato, I came across this post, which was brought over to CH by Ms Marmalade, where BFS brings up the subject re: the name change.

From BFS:

Responding very late to the game, but yep that was me all teary eyed and crying at the end with about 500 other people it was simply beautiful and i still tear up when i talk about it...it was.that.special.

I also had the honor to attend the the round table and the screening of Finding Samuel, what a wonderful movie and i must admit that i was quite teary eyed watching it...it so moving and it is living proof of that inclusion is so vitally important for all of us just not those living with disabilities....

going backwards a bit Jerry Aiken did explain that for the foreseeable future the foundation will not be changing their name...he mentioned pro and cons...one of the biggest cons is that they would like a name that suggested what their foundation does...they almost changed it to Inclusion Works, but it didn't get board approval

It was also wonderful to talk with other fans and get excited about the foundation and the wonderful work they are doing...our efforts, the foundations efforts are not in vain...it is working...the work is soooo important and the round table and the whole event underscored it in spades...

What can I say about the gala that hasn't been said...

oh, i know...i was seating in the hinterland ...our table was added at the last minute when they realized it they were one short...it was in the far right hand corner when facing the stage...despite the waiters practically climbing over others to serve us...it was wonderful...

Clay looked awesome, was awesome...and it was simply one.of.those evenings ....perfection....

[Couch Tomato]

thank you Justforfun--- I'm glad it will remain TBAF.

[Scarlett]

Looks like the board was in dreamland!

G'mornin' to all!!! :nature-smiley-014:

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

Regarding "Right Here Waiting"...it may have been for all of us who are still here, but I also believe it was for those who have left and those who are still struggling. The man feels very deeply and I do believe his heart is breaking over the hurt he has caused, intentional or not, the disappointment that he can't or couldn't be what some need him to be...he loves all his fans and his arms and heart will always been open and waiting for those working their way back...I hope many more do.

Okay...enough serious stuff....

3 Days until Clay is Roasting Matt Lauer!

40 Days until Clay's Golden Birthday!

75 Days until The Closing Night of Spamalot!

97 Days until Golfing For Inclusion!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[Scarlett]

Regarding "Right Here Waiting"...it may have been for all of us who are still here, but I also believe it was for those who have left and those who are still struggling. The man feels very deeply and I do believe his heart is breaking over the hurt he has caused, intentional or not, the disappointment that he can't or couldn't be what some need him to be...he loves all his fans and his arms and heart will always been open and waiting for those working their way back...I hope many more do.

The banter before RHW explained how it was picked not why it was picked, so people connect the dots in their own way. Some have an Alamo "line-in-the-sand" vision where "you're either with us or against us" (though in that case wouldn't WIDTL have been the choice?), so instead of seeing RHW in the context of the whole evening's event & TBAF's goal of total inclusion, it's somehow interpreted as a "just for us" kind of thing. It doesn't make sense. I've always felt that, despite frustration with the people who aren't really planning to stay and are just being noisy about it, Clay loves all his fans and is reaching out to everyone. His blog was firm (hee, I said firm) and very specific about how he felt about those who were really struggling even though each of us would like to claim him for our very own.

[FearofH2O]

I'm gonna try and catch up at nights but the political thing is going to be taking up more time than I have. Seems like everyone volunteers and then they disappear. I'm actually getting pretty good at it. i may run for something myself.

So happy that I was able to go to the Gala. Clay is just amazing. I took some pictures but not so good as usual. I don't know how to fix them up. Thanks for all the sweet people that talked to me. I thought playbiller would appreciate that many of you asked about her. Obviously we are not the same person. I hope you don't take anything I passed on to her personally. It was done as a gesture of good will.

Have a great week, I'm off to the polling place again.

[claytonic]

Regarding "Right Here Waiting"...it may have been for all of us who are still here,

but I also believe it was for those who have left and those who are still struggling. The man feels very deeply and I do believe his heart is breaking over the hurt he has caused,

intentional or not, the disappointment that he can't or couldn't be what some need him to be...he loves all his fans and his arms and heart will always been open and waiting for those working their way back...I hope many more do.

I agree, I hope that those who are struggling will think about aspects of their own selves that perhaps may surprise and disappoint others. No one is perfect, and no one is exactly what others perceive them to be. If anyone in this world deserves compassion, it is Clay. It isn't even about forgiveness because I honestly don't see that there is anything to forgive Clay for. I've learnt so much from his strengths but have learnt even more from his good humor, kindness and most of all from his vulnerabilities. We should just ask ourselves... if we knew 5 years ago what we know today about Clay, would we be here? I say yes.

I was watching something on TV about Al Gore ... when he said "I used to be the next president of the Unites States of America"... and I immediately thought... hey, Clay could one day say "I used to be the next American Idol..." (No offence to Ruben, after all... how could a Motown freak like me NOT like Ruben... ESPECIALLY after he sang "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" !!!)

[muskifest]

I've learnt so much from his strengths but have learnt even more from his good humor, kindness and most of all from his vulnerabilities. We should just ask ourselves... if we knew 5 years ago what we know today about Clay, would we be here? I say yes.

I say yes, too, claytonic. Love your whole post, but this especially.

[KAndre]

Oh, I agree with ya, Scarlett - Clay (and I think, Jaymes - just a teensy bit because I'm sure there are some she wouldn't mind accidentally disappearing forever) loves just about everyone - it would take more then being nasty about his coming out to stop him from loving you; of course, once he does, I don't think you could get it back [i vividly remember the "wouldn't spit (dude, it's piss, dammit!) down your throat if their heart was on fire" quote). However, I can't be too hard on people who aren't as nice and forgiving as Clay...

[claytonic]

Oh, I agree with ya,

Scarlett

- Clay (and I think, Jaymes - just a teensy bit because I'm sure there are some she wouldn't mind accidentally disappearing forever) loves just about everyone - it would take more then being nasty about his coming out to stop him from loving you; of course, once he does, I don't think you could get it back [i vividly remember the "wouldn't

spit

(dude, it's

piss

, dammit!) down your throat

if their heart was on fire

" quote). However, I can't be too hard on people who aren't as nice and forgiving as Clay...

Wasn't it "teeth" that was on fire? I remember this so clearly because I had never heard it said this way before.

[Cotton]

Until other people started talking about him being "Right Here Waiting" for those who were struggling, that hadn't even entered my mind.

We'll never know why he and Jaymes switched from BYLM in sound check to RHW. (I know, he said they were only going to do 4, but he did do 5 in sound check, right?)

Maybe he was talking to those fans.

I just didn't "hear" that.

Maybe it depends on where people are in their fandom?

Right Here Waiting lyrics

Oceans apart day after day

And I slowly go insane

I hear your voice on the line

But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never

How can we say forever

Wherever you go

Whatever you do

I will be right here waiting for you

Whatever it takes

Or how my heart breaks

I will be right here waiting for you

I took for granted, all the times

That I thought would last somehow

I hear the laughter, I taste the tears

But I can't get near you now

Oh, can't you see it baby

You've got me goin' Crazy

Wherever you go

Whatever you do

I will be right here waiting for you

Whatever it takes

Or how my heart breaks

I will be right here waiting for you

I wonder how we can survive

This romance

But in the end if I'm with you

I'll take the chance

Oh, can't you see it baby

You've got me goin' crazy

Wherever you go

Whatever you do

I will be right here waiting for you

Whatever it takes

Or how my heart breaks

I will be right here waiting for you

I think this "romance" between Clay and his Fans was very hard for him in the beginning. He has said he never "followed" anyone. He couldn't understand why people would want to know that he had been in the grocery store, what the Hell kind of socks he was wearing, that little move he made with his hand or every other little thing he did or said.

So I'm sure we drive him a little crazy!

And "we" couldn't understand why we were fascinated by this skinny little white guy from North Carolina.

I don't exactly understand Jaymes' suggestion for the song, actually.

Although it was beautiful and moving when he sang it.

And I'm glad I was there to hear it.

[Cotton]

I honestly don't see that there is anything to forgive Clay for.

Exactly.

I think this was in LTS, right?

I didn't go look it up in the book, got this from Claymaniacs, so it's from a message board and not Clay and could be inaccurate.

"I have relatives that wouldn't spit in my mouth if my teeth were on fire!"

ETA:

Jimmy Kimmel is on the Bonnie Hunt Show today if you get the show in your area!

[claylove]

I hope nobody minds, but I am going to postwhore a bit to get the rest of my gala photos up here:

[luckiest1]

Having a crazy, hectic day at work so far. 124 emails to get through this morning before I could even start doing anything. AAAAAAAAAHHHHH

Thanks for all the sweet people that talked to me. I thought playbiller would appreciate that many of you asked about her. Obviously we are not the same person. I hope you don't take anything I passed on to her personally. It was done as a gesture of good will.

It was great to see you too. :F_05BL17blowkiss: I think many people who were inquiring about playbiller (myself included) did so out of love. I am sorry if it backfired, or put you in an awkward position.

Until other people started talking about him being "Right Here Waiting" for those who were struggling, that hadn't even entered my mind.

We'll never know why he and Jaymes switched from BYLM in sound check to RHW. (I know, he said they were only going to do 4, but he did do 5 in sound check, right?)

Maybe he was talking to those fans.

I just didn't "hear" that.

Maybe it depends on where people are in their fandom?

Yep, I think every one is going to take a different meaning from the song, depending on their own filters. For me, it was first and foremost special because it has always been MY song to HIM when I hear it. I will always be here, where ever he goes and whatever he does. So he flipped it on me, and that made me a blubbering mess. If others who are struggling take it differently, I hope it helps them. I just think it was an awesome song choice and his delivery of it was soooo different from the way he sang it before. This time, he sang it as a thank you to us for our support. I am thrilled to death that Jaymes suggested it to him. Good for her for recognizing the potential of the lyrics.

I heard that he decided not to sing BYLM because the song was used in one of the video presentations. I don't know how accurate that is - just a hearsay kind of thing.

[claylove]

That's it. I hope you enjoy them!

[ldyjocelyn]

Cotton, I think you are me, as we seem to be sharing a brain a lot lately. The only difference is that you got to go to the Gala, and I, well, didn't.

I do think there is a lot of "connecting of dots" with the addition of RHW to the program, by the fans. Heck, I've done it myself, although I have to admit it took me a bit to make the connection. Again, though, this is one of those "personal filter" things -- some saw it. Some didn't. *shrug*

claylove, I don't mind in the least. Very nice pictures!

[Cotton]

DAMN!

Claylove is making us look at more pictures of Clay!

luckiest, that makes sense re BYLM.

Don't get me wrong, the song was very moving, but, for me, it was his delivery, his raw, naked voice, not necessarily the song.

Aww! lydj, I'm sorry you couldn't be there!

[liney23]

Claylove... first... there is no such thing as postho'ing on this board. Second... you can postho all you want, if there were such a thing as postho'ing on this board, when you bring such wonderful pictures...

That song meant something to Clay to sing it so movingly the way he did. Jaymes suggested it and we don't know why. We also don't know who suggested he sing it slowly that way, but he definitely felt that song. We can guesstimate that he was singing to those he had lost in the fandom, but it also could have been a thank you to those who had stayed and who had supported him so movingly at Spamlot and at the Gala, for the foundation that means so much to him. Like, "I'll be right here waiting for you" wherever and whenever we meet again. We don't know for sure until Clay tells us.

[claytonic]

Thanks for those stunning pics, claylove. I've been looking at them over and over! Hope someone with the necessary talent and skills puts them on a slow montage to RHW.!!

[luckiest1]

What I really want is for someone who knows how to make me an animated gif of the look on Clay's face after he sings "well now" and the audience screams. It's like he just lights up. My favourite moment of the entire gala, I think.

[claylove]

Does anyone have a list of the order of the live auction items from the gala and also the order of the awardees? I want to put everything in order when I make a DVD of this. Thanks!

[ldyjocelyn]

Does anyone have a list of the order of the live auction items from the gala and also the order of the awardees? I want to put everything in order when I make a DVD of this. Thanks!

I'll second this request...and also ask if someone can scan the program? I'd like to see it as well.

Yes, I'm supposed to be working...

[luckiest1]

Just an FYI....I scanned the program at the request of fans last year and then I got myself into a boatload of problems because there are individuals names listed in there. I was asked to rescan and blur them all out.

[Bella19]

Thaks to all of you Gala attendees for the wonderful recaps and photos - there can never be too many! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Here's my only offering today - another People.com article!

Clay Aiken Announces Winning Writer of His Official Bio

Even though we've read this before, I enjoyed seeing it again.