OK. So I only agreed to go because it was Carol's birthday. Besides, my daughters were going, and  Karen bought the tickets. It would be a fun night out with everyone, right? Sure. On a side note...this whole reintegration into my "old in-laws family" is something I am going to have to write about as well. But, here we go...[and why won't the font go back to what I want?]

We began our evening with a wonderful meal at the Japanese Steak House on High Street. Fabulous food. 4 of us ate for $115. Not bad. Then we made our way to Nationwide. The crowd. WOW. Are there THIS many "fanilows" in Columbus? Apparently. We shuffled through the lines and got inside the arena.

The warm-up act was...ummm...don't remember the name. But he was way too showy emotional as he played the keyboards. And his band--smooth jazz music--was just too weird. They did this whole thing with the saxophone player comes up to the leader in the band and starts playing his sax AT him. The leader (who has meanwhile switched to trombone) plays BACK at him. And they like do this weird pas de deux back and forth--dualing instruments. Too weird. So where's Barry?

So the warm-up guy goes away, and there is some down time. Lights up in the arena. People looking around. Shortly before 9 pm, the music starts to swell a little. A beat starts to pick up. Gets louder. The lights go down. It's on. We begin to recognize the strains of "Could This Be The Magic?" The crowd goes wild. I am waiting to get caught up in it. [Aside] I actually have always liked Barry Manilow. I have his CD The Ultimate Manilow. I just don't listen to it all the time. Ok. Like hardly ever. But then he comes out on stage, and starts singing, and I am thinking "Yeah. This might be all right." He works through a medley of sorts. I mean, let's face it--the guy has how many hit songs? He couldn't possibly sing them ALL and sing them all the way through. So I am enjoying myself, listening to the easy sounds of Barry Manilow.

I am not sure where it hit me, maybe when he sang WHen Will I See You Again, or maybe it was Mandy. Or something else. I only know that when he began to sing "I Made It Through the Rain," I began to cry. Suddenly, all the emotions I 've been dealing with for the past month--two months--6 months--I don't even know...everything bubbled to the surface and I was just crying unabashedly. And it felt good.

The rest of the night, I was putty in his hands. One thing I have to say, he addressed the crowd collectively as "you." From the stage, he said, "You have been with me for how many years now? You have bought my records, you have written your letters to me. Even when I wasn't at the top of the charts on Billboard, I was at the top of the chart in your heart." it was so intimate. I felt as if he was speaking directly to me. It was an amazing feeling.

So Carol, I am glad you invited me. Karen I am thankful you paid for the tickets. We were sisters long ago...until Fred decided he didn't want to be married anymore...at least not to me. I thought all of you in the family supported him. I have to say I felt betrayed on all fronts. It hurt, and I didn't want to see or talk to any of you for the longest time. I am so glad that has changed. It feels good to have you back. There is something special about sisters.

 

it has taken me this long to realize just how much I need this blog. unfortunately, it is 9:19, I am tired, and I have to teach all day tomorrow since my wonderful student teacher is going to a workshop. so i will get on this thing this weekend.