This is another one of my true stories. The event of which I am to share with you happened only yesterday, and I am still smiling as I think about it! :)
Yesterday, the 15th of April, 2003, my twin sister, Karla, and myself, had a unique experience here in our home in Burleson, Texas, where we live and work.
After Karla got off work (we both work at the Burleson Golden Corral; Karla has been there 5 years, and I have been there a little over 3 years now--I was off, by the way--), we came to the library, where we checked our emails and to see if we had any reviews at Authorsden.com (we did; we were only on the computers for not even ten minutes, which is unlike us!), and then we walked to Wal*Mart (well, until someone saw us walking, and they were kind enough to give us a ride).
The reason we went to Wal*Mart was because Kelly Clarkson, the first "American Idol" winner, was scheduled to make an appearance at our local Wal*Mart, where she was to sing a few songs off her new album, "Thankful", which was released yesterday, and then sign autographs for the hometown crowd. Kelly is from Burleson, Texas, and she was the one who was responsible in putting our little town on the map. Now, it seems everyone has heard of Burleson, Texas, where, beforehand, each time Karla or I mentioned that we lived in Burleson, Texas, people would go, "Burleson? Where's THAT?" (For the uninitiated, Burleson, Texas, is on the northern edge of Johnson County, and it is 12 miles south of downtown Fort Worth.)
When we got there at 3:30, there was already a huge crowd; but we decided that we would wait inside, at the area where Kelly was to sign autographs after she sang her two songs, and there was already a very long line (which only got longer as the minutes ticked by). There were people of all ages, and everyone was excited at the thought of meeting Kelly in person (including both Karla and myself). Now, I am normally not a huge pop/rock fan (I am more of a fan of country music, and I like the traditional style of country music), but I like Kelly because I like her style, and she has such a powerful set of pipes. She is incredibly talented, and she seems to have a good head on her shoulders. Even though she has reached fame faster than a lot of people, she still treats people with dignity and respect, and she is more than happy to visit (or entertain) her fans, which span from the very old to the very young.
Well, we stood there, and we stood there (which wasn't easy for either Karla or myself; see, we are both physically disabled, and we can't stand for long periods of time), and we were having a good time visiting with people, who were also waiting to see Kelly; and they were as expectant as we were (if not, even more so). We were all looking forward to getting her autograph (and some people were lucky enough to get a picture taken with her). The local news channels were there, taping the event, and the "Today" show was even there! So this was a major big deal in our little Texas town of Burleson! (Yes, we saw ourselves on tv this morning, in case you were wondering....)
It ended up we waited in line for three solid hours. (Over 4,000 people came to meet Kelly Clarkson; so you know WHY we waited for so long as we did! :)) It was a very long time to stand on our achy feet, but it was well worth the wait.
We then got to meet Kelly; but I was used to seeing her with blonde streaks in her hair; and her hair was nearly the same color all over; and I asked Karla, "Is that REALLY Kelly?" and Karla came back with, "No, that's REBA MCENTIRE!", which cracked the people around us up. (I was soooo embarrassed; I felt like a first-class idiot!) We walked to where Kelly was signing autographs, and both of us were rather nervous; but Kelly was kind enough to sign Karla's CD (some lady bought it for her, which was really nice), and a couple pieces of paper. She then gave us a hug and a kiss; and she was really sweet. She treated us with respect, and she didn't make us feel "rushed" due to the large volume of people. She took the time to talk with us (although briefly), and we were very impressed with her sweet demeanor. She may be a big star, but she is a charming person, and she is more than glad to visit with her fans, no matter how big the crowd may be. (The line of people ended up going around the ENTIRE perimeter of the Wal*Mart building, and more people were still getting in line to meet Kelly!) It ended up that Kelly visited with each and every fan, and it was a moment that I will always remember for a long time. She was one of the sweetest people I have ever met, and I told her so. She is just about as sweet as my favorite singer, country legend, Loretta Lynn, who is about as nice as they come! :)
Kelly, thank you for taking the time for visiting with my twin sister and myself; you really made our day, and you are to be commended for your talent and your sweet personality! If only more stars could follow your example....
(((karen))) what a precious story! i'm glad you and i got to share it together. boy, ain't we feelin' it today! HA heard that kelly signed autographs for over seven hours...when she was only scheduled to sign for TWO. that's the kind of person kelly is! (((kelly))) thanks for being so sweet, and for talkin' with us...burleson is proud to have you as OUR american idol! (((HUGS))) and love, karla. :)
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