What happens when you meet all your heroes? What happens when your personal celebrities turn out to be people, just like you? What happens when you realize how little stands between you and anyone in the world you respect?
I have met both of my two long-term heroes in the past three weeks. After years of labeling celebrities as unreachable and purely fantasy, in just three weeks I managed to meet them. A couple of weeks ago, I met Tynan, who I have talked about before and will talk more about in another post. His blog has been my homepage for years, and what he says goes. When he told me I needed to eat better, I cut out sugar, meat, most wheats, and dairy from my diet. When he told me to be more stubborn and persistent, you can bet I took it to heart. The point is, getting advice from important heroes and “mini-celebrities” in life is so much easier and more possible than I ever could have imagined.
Tonight we went to the touring performance of Rent. This show changed my life when I was 12 years old, and I first saw it with my mother (who, just in case you haven’t been reading the blog, passed away from lung cancer a few months ago) on Broadway in New York. Thus, it was a fitting performance to see just one week after I scattered her ashes into the sea. It brought back memories and more. The show’s mantra, “No Day But Today” has always had weight and value as an application to my life. Right now it is even more valuable.
I have seen the show 3 times. Twice in New York, and now, here in San Francisco. Every one of these performances included Andy Señor in the cast. He is a Cuban stage actor who I have singled out as my personal hero since I first read his bio in my first playbill so many years ago. Tonight was not a disappointment, and he gave his usually energetic quality performance. What was different about tonight, however, was that this incredible hero of mine was giving me a priceless birthday gift. The best gift I would ever receive.
“Come directly to the stage door” he had written on my Facebook wall in the afternoon, “Your name will be on the list”.
Needless to say, I was incredibly excited. And the excitement hadn’t died down when my little group (consisting of myself, Chanterelle of course, Max – a new friend from the Academy of Arts, also an obsessive Rent fan, and a friend of his) made its way through the throngs of people to the stage door entrance. A magical looking man with a long wizard-beard carried a clipboard and barred our entry.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“Christian Holmes”.
He never even got to finish checking the list. The door behind him opened, and Andy Señor, my personal hero and Facebook stalkee came walking gracefully out from backstage.
“Hey man!” he said, holding out his hand.
He remembered me? I mean…I knew he was my friend on Facebook, but was he really that familiar with the way I looked?
The rest was a dream. Max looked starstruck as he met two of his favorite Broadway performers, Anthony Rapp (Mark, original cast) and Adam Pascal (Roger, original cast) came up and shook his hand. Adam even signed his phone.
I was less concerned about these official “stars” of Broadway, and more concerned with actually meeting and conversing with my hero and personal celebrity. I hung back and discussed passion and the show with him. He gave us a tour, and we continued to speak, one on one, about writing and personal development. We took photos and exchanged stories. We interacted on such a human level it was incredible.
As we walked out, like VIP’s, trailing behind Andy and walking past the throngs of lolling fans, I wondered on my life for the months since my mom had died. Sure, it has been filled with extreme pain. With feelings of lost and depression and loneliness (as readers of this blog know all too well), but the past few weeks have also been graced with incredible moments I never would have thought possible. Like tonight. Could that be my mom? Inaugurating her presence as an angel in my life by creating a fireworks show of unimaginable experiences? Maybe so.
Now the key will be continuing to develop these incredible relationships with incredible people.
My new goal? Taste Andy’s cooking!
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