Kaye P. Manuel, my best friend and sister until the day that I die, said it best when she said, “There are fans, there are fanatics, there are die-hard fans…and then there’s just my friend and I. I’m not trying to brag or anything, but we are way passed “obsessed”; and more into “dedicated” and “devoted”.” Being a fan of these four artists or these twelve people, whichever way you wish to look at it, has changed the lives of at least two people...I was inspired by Kaye’s writing and her speech to write this; a telling of why these people, who may be insignificant to others, but mean the world to us. This is a telling of twelve normal people who have unknowingly, as a group that doesn’t exist, saved two lives; twelve people who, by just being alive, have made it easier for two torn souls to breathe...
Backstreet Boys...*The Talent*
Backstreet Boys, the underestimated, stereotyped “boy band”. AJ McLean, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson, Howie Dorough, and Nick Carter have been living their dream for ten long years, a dream that has kept my spirit alive. Their voices are so smooth and calming; when they sing, I drink in their sound as if it were my last thread of life. Some people do not understand that feeling...the feeling that I get when I dive head first into a Backstreet Boys song and swim away from life as I once knew it. They, as have the rest of BSGECWF, have saved my life; they have given my faith back to me when it felt so out of reach. People can say all they wanna say about me being a fan of these five wonderful men; their words mean nothing to me because BSB makes me happy. Yeah...happy. For the five men who have worked so hard, who have never succumbed to the insults and the hate, who have restored my life to me...Thank you.
Christina Aguilera...*The Soul*
Christina Aguilera, the genie who refused to stay in the bottle so that she could live ‘simple and free’. Christina is my source for strength against the world. I am strong because she, with her powerful voice and ‘you can’t bring me down’ attitude, has made me a fighter. A voice that is so strong, so pure, and so full of life has given me a voice to speak with when I feel that I will never be heard. She is my idol because she is everything an idol should be; strong, proud, and compassionate. She is strong through her actions. She can look everything that is accepted as ‘right’ in this world, in this society, and prove it wrong. She is proud of herself and who she is. She’s not afraid to be her, even if someone out there may not like it. She is not afraid. Compassionate is not something easily found anymore. She is compassionate about her music, her message to her fans. Thanks to Ms. Aguilera, we know that we are beautiful, no matter what they say...we have found the voice within...and we are OK. To be a fan of someone so strong, so powerful, and yet, so simple makes me very proud; proud to stand up and say ‘I am a fan of Christina Aguilera’ and to keep on saying it, shouting it louder with each passing moment. For the woman who has persevered, who has made it through the rain, who has left me speechless with every breath...to the woman who has given my life purpose...Thank you.
Eden’s Crush...*The Diversity*
Eden’s Crush, the five beautiful and talented women who have proved that, yes, dreams do come true, you just have to want it bad enough. Ana Maria Lombo, Maile Misajon. Ivette Sosa, Nicole Scherzinger, and Rosanna Tavarez have worked very hard to give a dream wings, a dream that still flies in my heart. Eden’s Crush is something I will never forget, or abandon, regardless of what others might think. They have showed me the value of hard work and keeping your hopes up when things may have hit the bottom. Five ladies who surprised everyone and proved that you can be true to yourself without being everyone else. Faith comes from Eden’s Crush. Faith in my dreams, in success. They have given me a message of encouragement, a message of hope...a message to not let life get me down. In my mind, they are not ‘short-lived’ because they will live inside me forever; the memory of Eden’s Crush within me will never die, will never fade out, will never disappear. Being a fan of the glamorous ladies of Eden’s Crush may be one of the most interesting things I can describe, but even then words fail me. All that are left of us are the die-hard ones; the ones who won’t soon forget the five angelic voices that sang to us about love, life, and control. I may not show it like some, but I am one of these people; a die-hard fan, as we are called. I don’t have all the pictures, I don’t have all of the moves down, but I am a fan, a die-hard fan of Ana, Maile, Ivette, Nicole, and Rosanna. Eden’s Crush is something no one can ever take away from me. For the five women who have shattered the mold, who have become more than what they are without even knowing it, who have given my dreams wings to fly...Thank you.
Willa Ford...*The Passion*
Willa Ford, the woman who refuses to let anything stand in the way of what she was meant to do. Willa has shown what ‘living for a dream’ is really all about. Through the waves of hate and the period of uncertainty, she has come out on top. In my eyes, Willa Ford means ‘not allowed to give in.’ Be strong. Have courage. Stay true. She means all of these things to me. Unafraid to be real and unafraid of what other people may be throwing at her, she tells me that I can get up when I fall down. Nothing is impossible in the eyes of a Willa Ford fan, because we have seen through the impossible. A dream, dying in jealousy and lies, is alive; what a lot of people never expected to be real does exist. With Willa comes a lot of power; every note has a meaning, every word has a place. Willa fans, we are the brave. Being the underdog in any situation no longer seems unbeatable, the highest point on the highest mountain no longer seems unreachable. Willa’s voice pounds an idea into your head; it makes you listen, even if you do not wish to hear. For the woman who will never let anyone stand in her way, who has beaten all the odds and come out victorious, who has put the strength back into my soul...Thank you.
BSGECWF...*The Dream*
What started out as a dream for twelve individuals has become reality for two girls. I thank them for everything that I am, for what I have come to be. They have picked me up and carried me through life, helping me live it when it felt like there was nothing to live for. They have put the sparkle back into my eyes and the meaning back into my life. By living their dreams, they have kept mine alive. If there was never BSGECWF; if the Backstreet Boys, Christina Aguilera, Eden’s Crush, and Willa Ford had never come into my life, I would be without this world and it would be without me. I would be gone, in a better place as they like to say. With BSGECWF, I am in that better place. BSGECWF is what makes me happy; BSGECWF is what kisses away my tears...BSGECWF is what I live for, in a sense, but they have showed me to live for me as well. For the love, the hate, the highs, the lows...for the men and the women who have given two little girls the strength to live again...Thank you.