Everyone has dreams, and sometimes we are lucky enough to have them come true. This past summer, two of my dreams came true; I went to New York City, and I met Mariah Carey.
Dream No. 1
Ever since I was 9 years old, I remember fantasizing about living in NYC. I thought about attending college there, but at age 18, I felt that I was too young and naïve to be independent. I decided to wait until graduate school; maybe I would attend New York University or Columbia University.
I had all these visions of what the city would be like when I got there. I imagined the bright lights on Broadway, husky New York accents, cleaner living areas, the most fashionable and trendy people, and kids running through water from broken fire hydrants.
Unfortunately, a lot of what I imagined about the city was false.
What I got when my sister and I arrived in NYC was a guy trying to give us a ride in his imaginary taxi, humid air that messed up my $45 hairstyle and a grandfather who kept trying to feed us disgusting Jamaican chicken patties.
Even more fun was changing hotel rooms three times, taking a 18-block walk to see the Empire State Building-which lacked any excitement, witnessing a fire in the hair salon while my sister got her locks done and getting caught in a rainstorm in Princeton.
And of course, the most exciting of them all was getting stuck in SoHo during the Historical Blackout of 2003.
After waiting five hours for our grandfather who never came, we decided to walk and eventually found a bus willing to drop us off near our hotel, almost 60 blocks from where we were.
After entering the hotel and walking up 12 flights of stairs, we passed out on the bed and hoped to wake up in California. We had hoped in vain, but all was not lost and we ended our trip on a high note by seeing Toni Braxton in Disney’s “AIDA.”
So, despite not loving NYC as much as I thought I would, I still want to live there. Career wise, it will be beneficial and it will allow me the independence I seek. Away from my family, I would be forced to rely on myself.
Dream No. 2
I’ve been a fan of Mariah Carey since I was 9 years old and during her second sold-out show at the Universal Amphitheatre this summer, I was blessed with the opportunity to go backstage to meet her.
My memory of what happened after we walked into her room is rather vague. After 13 years of admiring her, actually having her in front of me talking, hugging and answering questions sent me into immediate shock.
But, what I remember and admired most about her that night was that as tired as she looked, she took the time to greet and make direct eye contact with each of us.
And because I was in such awe that night, I would like to thank her now for all that she has done for me. Her music and personal battles have helped me to become a more open-minded and less reclusive person.
I would also like to thank her for always acknowledging that without her fans she wouldn’t be where she is and for encouraging us to believe that dreams can and do come true.
Rima Thompson, a senior journalism major, is arts editor of the Campus Times. She can be reached by e-mail at remeepooh@aol.com.
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.
