Reaching Out to the Stars by Donna DeMaio Hunt Read Free Book Online Page A

at the time I didn’t care. I also brought my own digital camera thinking I could take some of my own pictures.
    We found our seats and they were probably the best seats that I had ever had at a concert. It was the best show yet, my third concert, but the first where the stage was all his. The opening act was Cherie, who I had never heard of but I thought to be quite good. I did end up buying her CD. I also envied her to be touring with my idol and thought that if I were in her shoes I would be all over that.
    It was at this concert that I found out that he had started a new foundation created to help children with disabilities. Well, now, how did I know that he would do that? It was just another thing that made me admire him a little more, which I did not think was possible.
    I took pictures during most of the show. He changed his outfit several times. He started with the basic blue button down with a tie and jeans. During the middle of the show, he had a striped coat with a white t-shirt and jeans. At some point toward the end of the show, he was actually sporting a full white suit. The picture taking in some respects was good and bad. Good, because I got some great shots but bad because I felt that I did not enjoy the show to its fullest because I was so focused on getting good pictures. Therefore, the show seemed to end so fast.
    On the way home, I still had adrenaline rushing through my veins. I crawled into bed, still excited, but I started to feel depressed again. At this point in his career, I knew that there was going to be another show so I was not sure from where the sadness was coming. It lasted for about a week and then all was fine again. I never thought back on it other than to stare at my program every once and a while and to look forward to another show.
    I was excited to find out about a Christmas album that would be released. Naturally, I bought it the day it hit the store shelves and listened to it throughout the holidays. I really enjoyed this CD because I really love Christmas music. I was sad to have to stop listening to it come January. It could have been Christmas all year.
    I bought two tickets for the Christmas concert for December 3, 2004, at the Providence Performing Arts Center. In November, Bryce blew out his knee playing football with the guys. He had his surgery at the end of November with the concert about two weeks away.
    I called the Performing Arts Center to let them know that he was temporarily handicapped and to see if they could make any accommodations for us. I was excited to find out that they would give us handicapped seating and that we could still go.
    That night, I drove to the Providence Performing Arts Center. This was quite the experience because anybody who knows me also knows that my biggest fear is driving on big highways or unfamiliar roads. I have this terrible anxiety about getting lost or somehow ending up going the wrong way on a huge highway. There have been times when Bryce has said to me, “What do you think is going to happen? Do you think that the road is just going to end and you are going to fall off into thin air?” I never answer that question because I know if I say yes, I will get laughed at. I have actually seen movies like that where there is a chase and the road just ends and I start screaming because it scares the crap out of me, worse than a horror movie. Anyway, despite being nervous, I was determined to get to the show.
    As I drove down route 146, palms sweating, I was doing fine until we ran into route 95, a five lane highway with a butt load of cars. I thought I was going to get the two of us killed but luckily God was with me because it was the first exit, after merging into the madness, we needed to take.
    When we got there, we found parking and Bryce crutched his way to the theater. The ushers were kind enough to meet us at the door and wheel him into our seats, which were in the very front of the theater. These seats were even better than the