Forgive me for seeming greedy, but this one experience actually killed 2 birds with one stone so to speak.
I was visiting my best mate who's at Manchester Poly as was, and we went to one of their themed nights at the student union. It was Karaoke. Not being much of an exhibitionist myself I'd never tried this before. Besides, my only singing experience had been in junior school for the Xmas Nativity and that was so long ago I can hardly remember that. My best mate was actually a good singer so I always let her take centre stage while I cowered in the safety of my chair by the bar. Anyway we had a few drinks and she went up to put her name down for a song. I'd told her it was something deep down I'd always wanted to try but could never ever find the courage to do. She tried to persuade me but there was no way I was going to do it here and now in front of soooo many people.
Anyway she got up and did her Alanis number as usual. It was good but I've lost count of the number of time's I've heard her do Ironic, but who cares. The next thing I know my name is being called out and I'm up to sing next ! I was stunned. You know like in the movies when the camera does a close up on your face and the background zooms away, or something like that. My friend came walking back over to me grinning like a Cheshire cat. She said to me "you'll be great, I know you will" and she kissed me on my cheek and whispered "knock em dead girl".
The next thing I knew I had somehow reached the stage - mental note, never drink too many screaming orgasms as it seems to leave you with the impression you have powers you don't really posses ! Anyhow, I hadn't even noticed what the song was during these few moments of terror. Oh my god ! How cheesy can you get? I Will Always Love You by Whitney ! I thought to myself, oh what the heck. I can't chicken out now, I guess its now or never. Then the backing track started and the words lit up on the monitor in front of me. This was it. It was really happening. There was a hush that descended on the room and eyes from what seemed like every corner where fixed on me. I went for the first note, and I hit it just how I'd imagined I would - terribly lol. But soon enough everything seemed to fit into place and the right notes started to flow. I was doing it! And you know what, it felt good too. At a break in the singing I eventually plucked up the courage to take my transfixed eyes from the monitor and look out into the crowd. As I did I could see my friend standing right in front of me just staring into my eyes and smiling. I expected her to be pulling faces or cheering, but she was being very subdued. Anyway I managed to get to the end of the song and the relief of getting there overwhelmed me. I'd done it and people were actually cheering.
I stumbled down the steps of the stage and made my way over to my friend, who now I wasn't so desperate to strangle like I had wanted to minutes early. I noticed something about her. She had a tear in her eye. She was stunned. "That was amazing. And you said you couldn't sing !". I was flattered. She came to give me a hug, but instead of a drunken sloppy kiss on the cheek like she'd given me moments before I'd got up to sing, she looked my straight in the eye and kissed me on right on the lips ! I'd never experienced this before, but it just seemed so right for that moment. I'd secretly had a bit of a crush on her in my teenage years and had even thought about kissing her back then, but now after all this time it was actually happening. It was only short, but it was like something I've never felt before. It was one of those brief moments when everything seemed to just click perfectly into place.
Now I can safely say I've finally done something, well to be honest two things, I've always wanted to do! That reminds me, must check when the next Karaoke night is . . .
For an introduction and list of contributors to Review 2005, follow this link.
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