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January 21, 1999
I'm a little nervous about sharing
this with people, but to me, it is too good to keep without sharing with
other fans of Michael's. It's totally how I feel about Michael, so it's
something that would be nicer to share instead of keeping it to myself.
Who
knows...maybe others have the same problem I had and can use Michael as
their inspiration to change. I
wonder what Michael would say about my story if he knew what I did because
of him. He has totally changed my life for the better when I thought it was
just the way I was always going to be.
My name is Darlene Beckett.
I'm 33
years old and single yet. I live on Grand Island, New York, which is between
Buffalo and Niagara Falls, right in the middle of the Niagara River before
you go over the falls.
My story starts like a lot
of his fans do with first getting to see him perform in the 10th Anniversary of Les Miserables.
It was on a local Public Broadcasting
station raising money to support the station. It must have been one of the
biggest and best fundraisers they ever had, because they kept playing it
week after week, several times a week, and even several times a day once in
a while. I had always wanted to see Les Miserables, but never had the
chance to do.
The more I watched the show, the
more Michael stood out. I was only familiar with Colm Wilkinson since he
often does shows in the Toronto area, which is right over the border from
where I live. Watching the fundraiser people during the intermissions
wasn't helping to find out who Marius was. I finally figured it out by the
credits on the end what his name was.
I wanted to know about this Michael Ball guy and how and where I
could see him perform some day. I
checked all the huge music store outlets by me, but couldn't even find him
in any nationally hooked up computers.
My big break came when we had the internet installed on our computer
for the office in the beginning of 1997.
The internet and computers were
foreign to me at the time, but I figured out the "SEARCH"
Motivation, as in any diet, and a reason why you CAN do it, is the hardest thing to get past. My wanting to see Michael so badly some day gave me the strength and will-power to do it. Every time I was extremely (and I mean extremely) tempted to overeat, I thought of Michael or I would go watch him on a video to get me back in the right frame of mind and remind me of why I'm doing this. I was determined that if I ever got to actually meet him in person, he might at least want to acknowledge my existence. I couldn't picture him caring one way or the other, the way I was looking. I'd have been just another face in the crowd.
So Michael came along at the
perfect time in my life to become the perfect motivational reason I needed
to get me to want to change. Now, 2 years later, and tons (and tons) of
never giving into the cravings (I don't have them anymore...thank God!) ,
I'm sooooo.....happy and proud to be able to say that I weigh in at a trim
and slim 125 pounds now!!!!! I wasn't fat in high school, but I was never
even close to being this skinny! My family still shakes their heads in
disbelief when they see me. I had close friends and relatives, who, when
they saw me again, didn't know who I was! Some would look me straight in
the face and stare a while trying to figure it out, but couldn't! Some were
in complete denial after they found out who they were talking to.
I also changed my hair completely.
My hair is really very thick
and curly, so I always kept it
Now I'm dying for a chance to tell Michael how he gave me the strength to go through this and make it! This had to compare to what smokers go through trying to quit smoking. I can't imagine going through any worse withdrawal symptoms than I did. My life has totally changed because of him now. I can't believe I ever looked like I used to anymore...it doesn't seem real...almost like the old me was just a bad nightmare and I finally woke up from the bad dream.
I feel I owe him so
much. Why? I don't exactly know. There was just something about him
that triggered me into doing this that probably nothing else could or would
have. My entire family and friends would like to pass on their best wishes
to him in all his endeavors now and in the future for what he's done for
me. They are in awe of his powers over me!
Love and best wishes to Michael
and all his fans!!! Long may he rule!!! There's no one better! Darlene
November 8, 1999 You
know...now that I look back, and it's been about 2 1/2 years since I
dropped the majority of the weight...I just can't imagine what I'd look
like or be like if Michael hadn't popped onto my television and sung like
an angel to me. It was like God KNEW that I needed something to help me or
I'd be down the drain, because I WAS starting to drown in misery. I was
very nasty and withdrawn. Felt like nobody cared or could care about me
because of how I looked. I sat down and just bawled my head off the other
day when I read his article. All those feelings and emotions have played
with me over the years. I can't tell you how much I could relate to him.
Funny how he just came along when I needed him.
Darlene
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