Beavers On Idol

Of Metaphors and Clay
by Dina Abramson (2004/05/09)

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My high school English teacher, whose name happened to be Ann Frank (I know, she's missing the "e" on the end), mailed me a card when I graduated from college that said, in part, "you always bloom where you are planted."

That phrase popped into my head the other day, and I thought how much that description fits Clay. Whether he's in the TRL studio hanging out with the tweens, at Senator Harkin's office schmoozing with the lawmakers, swarmed by lively children at an art activity, or onstage in front of VERY enthusiastic Claymates, our man seems always confident and focused on the situation at hand. For a young person who had rarely left the city he grew up in, who had taken one airplane ride in the first 24 years of his life, he has now spent the better part of a year traveling constantly. Two national tours, with stops in Canada on the first, journeying to London to record and to perform, and repeated trips from one U.S. coast to the next, it is a wonder how he remembers where he is from one day to the next. Yet he seems to face each new day with quiet certainty and amazing inner strength.

Of course, it is no accident or twist of fate that Clay is on this new trail in his life. The seeds were planted at a YMCA in Raleigh , and carefully watered at the Metro School in Charlotte . The tender leaves budded in the home of the Bubel's, and sprouted in the lecture halls of UNCC. Now the strong vines have grown far beyond the places he calls home. His daily routine may be in a constant state of flux, but within himself, he is grounded. And he never forgets his roots, including the fact that it takes many people with a green thumb to raise such a seedling. Naturally this process began with years of care and attention by a loving family, especially a supportive parent. To put a twist on a famous phrase, in this case, the leaf does not fall far from the tree.

Not only is Clay thriving in every environment he's finding himself in, he's also spreading love and light to those who are experiencing him. What some may have dismissed initially as a common weed, destined for a life of anonymity, has blossomed rapidly into an enigmatic phenomenon, garnering attention with every project he involves himself in. People who have had the wonderful opportunity to meet him speak with similar phrases: "He walks in, and the room just lights up"; "When he speaks to you, he looks directly at you"; and, "He doesn't just shake your hand, he holds it." He has an amazing ability to understand the emotions and actions of his dedicated fans, even though he professes to have rarely been star-struck in his life.

Not even the intense rays of a California sky, or the glaring spotlight of the Hollywood media, can dim the radiance of this flower. Clay is a survivor, and he will succeed in whatever endeavors his path creates for him. Like the new bud after a spring storm, he is hardy, he is resilient, he will always persevere.

And he will continue to grow, as he basks in the love of his fans; the ever-increasing respect of people in the fields of journalism, music, politics, and education; and the attention of the children he calls his inspiration. Clay is beauty, laughter, and strength in our lives, and I believe we are some of that for him as well. The depth of the devotion and appreciation on both sides runs so deep. He is a man with an astonishing capacity for kindness and empathy. We stand in defense of him against even the slightest accusation, and when we face criticism for our actions, he stands in defense of us.

So much has already come to pass, and the future looks extraordinary, for all of us. Clay is in the driver's seat, and on his bus, no one is excluded, and the road ahead is paved with sunshine.

Not too bad for a young sprout from North Carolina .

posted by Yee 12:45 PM

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