IDOL!

Joel, my fellow singer of the Praise Team in one of the Protestant churches in Makati, told me that his five-year-old son, Juliard, likes watching us sing. Of course Joel was happy. Then Juliard went up of their sofa and mimics someone whom he said that he likes watching. Joel taught that it was him, or probably Marvin our team leader. Yet Joel still asked his son and was surprised when Juliard answered, "I am imitating Eric." Joel asked, "Why?" to which Juliard answered, "I like to watch Tito Eric sing."

Joel's amazement is not without reason (other than the fact that he is a bit jealous because his son likes to watch me over him), I didn't sing any solo parts yet while he did a number of times already. But it didn't surprise me also that his son would like to watch me (please note, watch not hear me sing). Members of the Church, even our Graeco-American Pastor , told me that they love my being "lively" on stage (admittedly the Greek blood in our Pastor was the reason for it).

But that is just me. Most of the time, I shed all my inhibitions when I am on stage. And when the music starts playing my body goes with the melody. I love music and I love expressing the emotions of the song through the movement of my body and the expressions of my face.

I am a performer and performance for me is an art - - an expression.

But then again, I am still amused. I have a five-year old fan.

Not that its is the first time that happened to me. I already had my own share of "followings" even when I was still in high school. When I was a junior in high school, I was the only male in a three-person team that would represent our school for chemistry quiz bowl. Accompanying us the contest venue (which was an hour drive, two towns away from our school) were the whole Chemistry Class, our coach and her 12 year old daughter. I don't know, but I probably made an impression of our coach daughter that a week after, my coach approached and told me that her daughter has a big crush on me. Whoa! Have you even been approached by a mother, who happens to be your teacher and coach, and told you that her daughter likes you? I was flattered, of course, but my God! She was 12 year old! (I just turned 16 then).

A year after, that girl was accepted in our school (our school is relatively small, of the 500 freshmen applicants only 80-100 are accepted). I was in my senior year then and I never told my classmates about what our coach confided to me. You know how senior male students are, they seem to have the right to "victimized" freshmen ladies. One of those freshmen was that girl (I am really sorry but I forgot her first name already). My classmates was up for a big surprise, I wasn't a ladies man (and never was!), but when they (yes, quite a number of them) started courting her, she bluntly told them, "there is only one person I like in your class and in this school and that is Eric and nobody else."

Well, some guys can be so lucky, isn't it? She was good looking, but I did not end up with her. At that time I was having this "mutual understanding" with my batchmate and fellow teammate named Cynthia.

The same thing in college. There was Jenjen, a fellow masscom student and writer of the Weekly Sillimanian, who regularly informs me that a resident of Edith Carson Hall (a freshmen dormitory for ladies) likes me but won't tell her name. And some other freshmen.

Again it was not surprise for me. Having hosted the freshmen convocation for two years, chances are some freshmen would fall for this guy with a firm and well modulated speaking voice who speaks good English. I just wonder, having been a son-of-a-bitch that I was (and probably still am) would that "crush" wears off soon.

Okay, so I was Mr. Personality. I shouldn't have trouble with that, yes? But no, trouble is there are people whom I badly want to fall for me but they just wont wooed by my so-called charm. While those that I don't like are those that fall for me. Gaaad! Life can be so cruel, so unfair. Worst, while you tried to follow people you like, people you don't like are the one who pursue you and some of them have become my share of psycho-stalkers.

I mean for once in my life, would cosmos be too kind to give me someone that I like and who would like me in return?