An American Idol Experience
So yesterday was interesting.... It started bright and early. 3:15A.M. to be exact. Well, 3:45 was when I actually got out of bed, but that counts.... I crawled out of bed and got ready to go up to the great big world of Atlanta and try out to be the "Next American Idol". This early start following Sunday's early start which began at 2:30 AM after only one and one half hours of sleep.... So it's been a loooonnnnggg week already... I'll try to re-count my day, but bear with me.... First, let me back track a moment and tell you a little about registration....
At about 3:45 on Sunday, there were approx. 1,000 people standing in line to register for auditions. We were somewhere in that group. As we stood there, stupidly awaiting the rise of the sun.... I noticed that there were several homeless... Asking for spare change. Looking for food, from the many awaiting their turn to wow the world with their cunning talent and wit, their star quality perfection, and their self made egotism. I, like everyone else in line, diverted my attention. Made no eye contact and waited for security to clear these people out. And that's exactly what happened. Mind you... I had at my disposal, in a backpack at my feet. 3 bottles of water, and a box and a half of granola bars..... Also keep in mind, I've never eaten more than 2 granola bars in a 24 hour period in my life.... After we waited 3 hours, I signed papers, returned to my car.... And came home. I collected my daughter, who (having had a good night's sleep) INSISTED that we attend church. I obliged and headed to the teen Sunday school class. PLEEASE BEAR WITH ME.... THIS IS ALL RELEVANT.....
The teens were discussing a lesson from the prior week, a lesson that I had taught them.... About poverty in America. And what we as Christians should do about it. I sat in the class and wept. I had taught these kids to do something that only hours before I had refused to do.... We started brainstorming. With the help of my teens and several families in the church, we collected backpacks, blankets, bottled water, granola bars, and various toiletry items. Fast forward to Monday, with the help of my room mate and several others, we made "care bags". Each had a blanket, water and all the other "stuff" that had been collected. INGLES allowed me to pick up all their 'day old' stuff and we had a TON of food....
With the backpacks assembled and my little car stuffed.... I was ready for Tuesday. I wasn't really nervous about auditions. In fact I was quite certain that since I was not 5'9 and blond, I wouldn't be chosen. (Believe me, I stood next to some of the girls in line.... and if you believed their stories, they whispered directions to God Himself as He crafted the Universe.) OF COURSE they were the next American Idol.... didn't EVERYONE know that????? LOL... anyways, I digress.... We waited forever and two days, and finally Ryan Seacrest arrived, we shot about 20 different clips that might one day air on the show about Hotlanta in the next Season. Then we went through about 756 rounds of the Coke Song..... You know the cheezy song from the 80's.... "I'd like to teach the world to sing.... Blah blah blah.... I'd like to make everyone get along and help the flowers bloom, and hug a tree...." All that stuff... Finally auditions began... I waited a turn for my chance in front of my judges.... I got onto the field.... I hummed the notes to myself.... I sang like a beautiful bird and amazed them to the point of tears.....And then my bracelet was cut off and I was unceremoniously escorted from the building.... It was then... that my day began.....
I met my mom and Ashley out to walk to the car and as we approached the vehicle, we met Jerome. He lived under the bridge, and he was directing traffic for spare change. He looked at me like I was stupid when I said I wanted to talk to him. We pulled out one of the backpacks, and he pointed to his wife. He said she might be angry with him for bringing us over, but then promptly introduced us. She wasn't angry at all..... She smiled at us... And when we told her that we cared about her.... She began to cry. She was beautiful.... She told us her life in a few short moments....She had several children, and 13 grandbabies...
She had just gotten word that her disabilility check would be starting the next month, and then she'd have a place to stay....The teeth she still had were crooked, and she never stood up, but she hugged our necks.... And she told us we were guardian angels to her. I told her the truth. I was one of the thousands, selfishly standing in line.... But my heart was changed. I told her that I didn't have a lot.... But I'd be praying for her, and I wanted to do what I could. She gave us directions to the next place we'd stop....
It was at the next stop that we met Patricia.... She didn't hesitate to come to the car and help us unload some of our stuff. She smiled and hugged our necks too. She didn't tell us much, but she let us know that there were a lot of people who stayed at that park, and she gave us directions to the next point.
It was under a bridge at Peters and Murphy, where we met Janet, and Will and Johnny. They didn't say much, although Johnny called me gorgeous when I got out of the car.... It was as sincere a compliment as I've ever heard, and he smiled as big as he could when we loaded up their arms.
Time was running short, so we went back to the park. Patricia was gone, but there were others. Frank and Judy, and one other man helped us unload the rest of the blankets and things we had in the car. He said it was too much food. They'd have to share it to keep it from going bad.... They wrapped their arms around us... And we left.
I'll never see those beautiful people again. But they touched my heart.... We stopped at a gas station, and mom and Ashley went inside to buy water for several of the men in the parking lot. I pulled out and turned to 75. I realized that it wasn't enough.... Nothing we did was enough. All along the roadsides, people were pushing grocery carts, and carrying bookbags... Trying to avoid the scorch of the angry afternoon sun... They were everywhere. In the shadows of the Georgia Dome, where people pay $50 dollars to see a football team play. $4.50 for a bottle of water.... $8 for a basket of chicken fingers....
I'll never regret standing in that line.... I'll never regret giving it a shot. But a moment that started out to show the world my voice.... Allowed the Lord to show me His.....On I-75 on the way home I could still smell Patricia's sent on my shirt... It wasn't pleasant.... But it struck me... Her's was the scent that Christ gladly brought to his nose.... Her's was the beautiful essence of perfume that the harlot poured on His feet. She was His child, and He had given me the honor of meeting her, for a brief second.
Someone from that stadium, may very well go on to be an American icon.... Someone that little girls try to sing like, or little boys imitate and lust after.... Myself, well..... I came home, and I slept in a soft bed, and I was able to give my daughter seconds when she told me she was hungry. I drank clear water, and took a hot shower.... And I thought of Mary, and Jerome.... And I prayed for the first time in my life that the Lord would break my heart over the things that break the heart of God....
I'm looking for ways to do more..... One afternoon wasn't enough.... I haven't found my niche in the system of doing something for those less fortunate.... But I will.... I know that I will. Keep them in your prayers....
So now I sit here, a day after all the crowds and business.... here I am.... Broken... I'll never try out again, but I'll continue to lift my voice in my hometown. I'll never be America's Idol. I pray for a brokenness that will leave a legacy. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the assets of life.... I want my daughter to be provided for. I want her to grow up comfortably. But more than anything... I want her to one day smell the essence of Christ, like I did, in the August heat in the arms of one who had no home....
Heather Clark
