Good Morning ((E'))veryone,
Midnight, great story. I was praying that someone would share. I got to the VA Hospital and found that I had not packed my LapTop, what a predicament I was in. Could not check or post a story. Anyway, for everyone interest, I got another semi clean bill of health for another 6 months. Changed some meds, stopped one (thank heaven), and told to exercise more, said I would (not promised), now I ???????. <VBG>!!
Todays story is direct from Nashville, TN.. E', did you maybe actually see this event by any chance????
Todays Story:
O Holy Night
The International Country Music Fan Fair in Nashville
is always a zoo-like affair with three hundred or more
people waiting in line at John Berry's booth for autographs,
to take pictures, and to buy memberships and T-shirts.
Fans often climb over the stanchions trying to get a picture
and yelling at John to get his attention.
Last year, John and his wife, Robin, had a great idea
for the theme of his booth. They felt it would be nice to
have people come and visit them on their front porch, so
they had the booth made as an identical replica of the porch
on the Berry house. The display kind of depicts how John
feels about his fans - almost like they're family. Coming
onto his front porch at the show was a very comfortable
thing for people.
Fan Fair began on Tuesday with a full day of interviews
followed by over four hours of autograph signing at the
booth. John's fan club party didn't close down `til 2:30
the next morning.
John started Wednesday with the Capitol Nashville
Showcase. After that, it was back to the booth where the
autograph line began in front of the picket fence leading to
the porch. A separate handicapped area fed into this line.
At one point, I spoke with a woman who explained that she
was deaf. She told me how she listened to John's music by
laying her fingertips on the speakers in her home. Now, she
just wanted to be face-to-face with John. She asked if she
could touch him to really feel what she had been "hearing"
through the speakers with her hands.
I was impressed by the woman who seemed like a kindly
soul with a gentle spirit. In spite of her handicap, she
was independent, positive and confident. Although I knew
John was already exhausted, I was certain he'd want to meet
this special fan. I took the woman over to John, let him
know she was deaf and explained that she had a special
request. John had her sit down next to his rocking chair
and got very close. Everyone around kind of stepped back
and things quickly got very quiet. The woman reached up and
put her fingertips on John's throat. At that point, she
asked him to sing. Without hesitation, and in the middle of
June, John broke into "O Holy Night."
You could see a total transformation on the woman's
face; and then the tears began streaming out of both of
them. Everyone in the surrounding booths stopped talking,
walking and taking pictures. All of us just watched. It
was as if everything in the room had frozen except the two
of them.
At the end of the song, there was a poignant pause
followed by tumultuous applause and a standing ovation for
the special moment that all had shared. John reached over
and gave the woman a tender hug. All of us felt the energy
pass through them. The woman didn't say much after that.
Within a moment, she found her friend and was gone.
By Jean Calvert
Have a great day all!!!
wb |
