Reaching Out to the Stars (3 page)

Being a fan as a kid didn’t end there.

When my family finally got home from whatever that day had in store, there was the mirror. What kid has not at one point in their lives stood in front of the mirror, performing and singing like we were someone important?

My mother walked into my room once and caught me singing in the mirror to Vanessa Williams’, “Save the Best for Last.” I was so embarrassed and completely mortified.

Of course, there were also the millions of buttons that we had on our denim jackets, the countless magazines from which we cut out the smallest pictures to add to our own personal homemade wallpaper that covered every inch of paint on the wall and closet doors. I think that double-sided tape was one of the best things that we had in the eighties. Among my personal favorites were Madonna, Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi and of course, Kirk Cameron.

By the end of the sixth grade, I had made a lot of new friends, including my friend Leslie, who I thought was an excellent pianist.

We would get together and she would play and I would sing. We gave up before we completed the first verse of “The Greatest Love of All.”

Between the unfinished piano music, the half completed version of “Stairway to Heaven,” and never getting through “The Greatest Love of All,” it sounds like I am a very flighty person, never completing a project. Although I could be seen as a jack of all trades and master of none, I actually am a very thorough and organized person. When I don’t complete a project, it drives me crazy. I have sleepless nights walking the floors thinking about all the things that I didn’t finish. I will probably never return to those childhood projects but will always use them as a catalyst to set future goals and to accomplish bigger and better things.

It was Leslie that introduced me to what I thought was the best tape ever created, called Out Of The Blue. From that point on, I discovered my biggest childhood idol, Debbie Gibson. I was a forever fan and the obsession grew every day. When I encountered my first school dance and was introduced to the “Lip Sync Contest,” I knew what I needed to do. I needed to be her.

Two of my friends, Lori and Jan, were willing to be my back up dancers. I spent countless hours in front of the television when I came home from school and after dinner, watching the videos and learning all of the dance moves. I also held several after school sessions with Lori and Jan to teach them all the routines.

As the contest grew closer, I needed a costume. Even though I left this part for the last minute, there it was: the red bandana, the denim jacket, and jeans. These were all pieces that were already a part of my everyday wardrobe.

When the night came, I was so excited. We all got there early so that we could practice in the gym before we were introduced in the cafeteria, which at the time seemed so big. I remember the rush I got when we went on stage. The crowd of teachers and classmates cheered for us and sang along to “Shake Your Love.” We ended up winning second place. The prize was twenty dollars and after splitting it three ways, we all brought home six dollars and fifty cents each. It didn’t matter because we were all so proud of ourselves.

The following year, my friend Melanie and I joined the same lip sync contest, this time performing “Out Of The Blue.” Costumes consisted of black hats and high-waist plaid miniskirts; again, items of clothing pulled straight from the everyday wardrobe. We didn’t win that year but still had a blast.

My obsession lasted throughout junior high and most of high school.

I remember having my first boyfriend, Darren, when I was a sophomore, and writing love letters and notes quoting the lyrics from her songs. Thinking that there is a slim possibility that he may still have those is kind of scary to me. In saying that, I don’t think guys keep that kind of crap that all of we girls do.

I did, however, manage to get to two of her concerts.

My cousins Marge and Cielia brought me and my two friends, Kiara and Irene, to the first concert. My cousins were utterly embarrassed by us because we were all dressed up. We, at the time, thought we were cat’s asses but looking back, just asses would probably be a more appropriate description. We had floor seats and could not see a thing, but just the thrill of being there was great.

I went to the second concert with my cousin Tori and we had really good seats. I was a little older and I remember dancing with her through most of the show and having the best time. I actually still have the program from that show. I even remember having to buy these earrings that she was wearing on the cover of the program which were these silver stick figures of a boy and a girl.

Taping the videos on MTV was my favorite pastime. I remember waiting for hours for them to come on and then got so excited when they finally did. I would then watch the tapes over and over, forward and rewind, until I knew them well enough to perform on my own to the music.

I desperately wanted to join the annual lip sync contest in high school and to perform “Electric Youth.” I gathered my friends Tori, Kami and Ava, but we could never quite get it together to perform. Back in the day, that’s what being a fan was all about. It was all innocent and all in good fun.

Today, my cousin Cielia remembers the embarrassment I caused her the night of my first concert. As she laughs, so do I because now having an eight year old daughter of her own, my Debbie Gibson is her daughter’s Hannah Montana.

For all kids, their idols are inspirations to a promising future, whether it is to follow in their footsteps or go to college and start a different career. No matter what they decide, those admirations and memories are always with them and will follow them throughout their lives in some way, shape, or form. For some, it is just a childhood dream but to others, a sought after reality. Whatever the outcome, childhood idols have a great influence on their young fans somewhere throughout their lives. Hopefully, it is a positive, lasting impression.

For me, well, I still wear jelly bracelets and high-waist puffy skirts. Just kidding… but don’t laugh, there is a good chance that we will be wearing that stuff again real soon, as we are still revisiting the bell bottoms and tie-dye t-shirts of the seventies.