Affair of the Heart

Anyone who knows me, knows that I've had an Affair of the Heart with Rick Springfield since I was 10 years old. On many occassions while growing up, I informed Bebe & Pop that as soon as I turned 18, I was moving to Austrailia, marrying RS, and they would never see me again! I had every photo from teen and tiger beat, posters, and album covers hanging on my walls. I know and love every song, every track, every word. I endured Luke and Laura's love affair on General Hospital, just so that I could watch RS play Dr. Noah Drake. Who cared if Luke and Laura worked? Not me!

Two years ago, Ryan took me to see RS in concert at the Wild Horse. It was amazing. As RS walked through the crowd (on top of the tables), he started heading our direction. RS stepped on the "fencing" that was in between the tables in front of us and our table. It was not secured to the floor. The amazing Ryan stepped up, grabbed RS's arm, and stabilized him as he got his footing on our table. I could not believe it! RS standing on my table, just in front of me, singing to me!!! My hubby is holding him up so that RS can sing directly to me! I pulled out my concert shirt from 1983 and RS sees it, grins, thumbs up my shirt, wipes his sweat with it, and continues to sing. He knows! RS knows that I love him!!! And with that incident, I thought that would be the closest to my destiny that I would ever come. Until last night...Friday night...October 22, 2010 at 7:49 p.m.

A few pics from the Wildhorse...here he is...one table over...


Of course, I was so busy soaking in the love (aka sweat) and holding on to my tee and RS's legs, I don't have a great close up pic but here's a pic of him moving to the next table to sing...:-)


A little over a week ago, I purchased RS's new biography, Late, Late at Night. And I have to admit that I was afraid to read it. I really did not want my image of my childhood love shattered. But my curiousity overcame my fear and I dove into the book at 4 pm on Friday afternoon. I finished the book at 1:15 am Saturday morning. I knew a lot of the story. I knew where he grew up, that he played music as a kid, that he'd toured in Vietnam. Wouldn't it have been totally cool if RS had played a concert for my dad in Vietnam? Back to the story, I cringed when I read the stories of RS being a play-yah. So dissappointed to learn that RS had not saved himself for me! I loved the stories of how some of my favorite songs came to life. And then I learned from RS's website that he was doing a book signing on Friday, October 22nd at Davis Kidd in Nashville. I'm so there!

Bebe and I showed up at 4 pm. I walk up to the counter and say "Where do I need to get in line for the RS book signing?" The 12 year old boy at the counter says "You want to get in line, now?" My reply "Well, of course, I do...It's Rick Springfield!" Unfortunately, I find out that I can not get in line yet, and that I have to purchase a book to get a ticket to get in line. That decision took about .0000005th of a second. Yes, sell me a book (that I already own and have with me) and give me a ticket. Awesome! We are in group 4. No need to line up now so Bebe and I decide to window shop in Green Hills mall. It was so nice. No kids saying "Hey I want this!" Just casually strolling, just looking, not needing to find the "it" thing that I'm looking for, just looking, dreaming and lauging with my mom!

At 6:15, we head back over to Davis Kidd to get in line. I am a nervous wreck! Is this really going to happen? Will I really get to meet, talk to, hug, and smell Rick Springfield? Too much!!! I mean I've already met Jeff Gordon this year. If I meet RS too, I really can just go ahead, die and go to heaven!!!

The Davis Kidd staff lined everyone up by groups. He arrived promptly at 7 pm. While in line, we had a blast talking to all the other RS fans. The fans that really appreciate him the way I do. He's laughing, smiling, posing for pictures, signing books. He looks happy and relaxed. He's interacting with the crowd. At one point, he says he feels like Santa Claus at the mall with a line full of kids. And then, it was our turn in line.

Now this all happened in a span of about 30 seconds...We walk up. The person in front of me, unfortunately, her camera freezes. She moves off to fix it. Seizing the opportunity, I step up next to him and say "So, since her camera is frozen, I get extra time with you?" He grins, oh that precious grin, chuckles a little, and says "Yeah, absolutely." I tell him that it is so incredible to meet him, he says good to meet you too, we chat (really don't know what I said, hopefully it made sense) and he takes my book, signs it, and he hugs me for our pic. I forget that there are hundreds of people around us. For that moment in time, it was just me and Rick Springfield. After our moment, Bebe steps up. She sticks her hand out to RS and says, "I'm here with her, my name is Barbara." He says, "Barbara, that's a good name, that's my wife's name." Bebe and I both reply "I know." We all smile and laugh and move through the line. My moment is over. My knees buckle, I can't breathe, tears well in my eyes. I check my camera for "the pic" and well, can I just say, it's awesome!!! Insert drum roll from Human Touch here....

And here it is cropped, so that you can see how beautiful he is...

RS was loving, generous, and kind. He talked softly in his deep voice. He, of course, looked amzing and he smelled so good! 5th grade dreams do come true!

Heart in my mouth; pulse in my head,
Mercury rising into the red,
The smell of your skin can light up all the fires in me.

Hungry to touch; I'm eager to please,
Out of control and I hand you the keys,
Every night I am burning to make love to you.

But don't try to tell me it's all physical,
It goes much deeper than that,

It's an Affair of the Heart.

I heart you Rick Springfield!!!

Melissa