Spring Break with Gerry

[AbandonThought]

Hi Gals!

A number of you know that I was lucky enough to go out to LA for the Premiere of How To Train Your Dragon and the talkshows that accompanied it, and you asked me to tell my story. Here it is! Sorry it was delayed! I related all three of my Gerry events that trip- Part One: HTTYD Premiere, Part Two: The Tonight Show, and Part Three: Jimmy Kimmel Live.

Oh, and sorry it came out sounding like a short story in places.

Enjoy!

Part One: How To Train Your Dragon Premiere

"You're not going to get to see him today."

That was what we had been told repeatedly by those in charge of the premiere.

There were no words to describe the way my heart dropped when the Dreamworks employee told us that Gerry was going to be driven behind the scenes up to the private red carpet. Fans weren't going to be let anywhere near him.

I had traveled two-thousand miles from New Orleans to Los Angeles for the chance to see Gerry. I'd been a fan of his for almost a year. At the beginning of my Gerry-journey I wasn't ready for him to be real. I watched him from afar; his films, his television appearances, and pictures of him out and about. I had put him on a pedestal, and I was afraid that I wasn't strong enough to see him in real life; afraid that he wouldn't live up to the dream that I had created him to be and that my world would be shattered as a result. But, in the previous few months something had changed.

In hindsight I'd have to say that the biggest impetus for the change was Lisa. After realizing on the fan forum Gerard Butler GALS.com that we had a lot in common, Lisa and I started chatting online daily. As the days went by, we just got closer and closer until we began referring to each other as big and li'l sis.

Suddenly, there was more to Gerry than this ethereal figure in the distance. I had made real friends as a result of being his fan, and somehow that made him more real to me as well. I was ready to bring him down to Earth, and for him to be a real person.

I gave up the dream that he would fall in love with me when he gazed into my eyes. I no longer had any expectations of Gerry. I didn't want anything from him. When I realized that I wanted to make the trip to Los Angeles for the How To Train Your Dragon premiere not for myself, but just so that he could see me there, a face in the crowd in support of him, I realized that I was ready to go.

And yet here they were, telling us that the premiere was going to be closed to the public and there was a strong likelihood that I wouldn't even be able to have that glimpse of Gerry that I had traveled two-thousand miles for.

If I hadn't turned to Lisa and seen the calm look of determination on her face, I could very easily have freaked out. I trusted Lisa though. She was a premiere veteran, and I knew that somehow together we could figure something out.

The morning was stressful. There were several groups of fans setting up camp in front of various back entrances, working off information gathered from a variety of sources about how premieres usually worked when they were held at the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal City, as that one was.

I can't deny that I was overwhelmed. I'm not always the most social person, and being in a large group of people of whom I was only previously acquainted with one was a trial, despite how nice everyone was. Not to mention that my stomach was a ball of nerves at the thought that somehow, it all might not work out.

We moved spots three times—picking up and carrying our folding chairs to the new location—as the new information trickled in. By the afternoon we found ourselves sitting beside a Starbucks, in front of what was the press entrance to the private red carpet.

There was much buzz and speculation among the ladies about what was going to go down, but never more so than when Joy, Gerry's publicist, walked by and waved hello to us, the faithful gathering of Gerry's fans.

Joy knows we're here, we mused. She wouldn't just walk by without saying something if she knew we were wasting our time, we nodded. Joy will tell us where we need to go.

I took a deep breath and extricated myself from the crowd. I went back to my folding chair and sat down. It was then the middle of the afternoon, and I had been awake and alert since three in the morning. I was a little tired, but more than anything nervous. I need to calm down, I told myself.

So, that was what I set about doing. I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes and meditated. I felt my heart beating, and concentrated on each breath going in and out, inhaling and exhaling deliberately. I focused and sought to slow my pulse and calm myself down with just my thoughts. It was beginning to work. I felt calmer already. And I was confident. I was going to get to see Gerry.

Just then, Joy walked back up to us.

"Ladies, don't say anything, just very quietly follow me. We're going to go to the Hard Rock. Just grab your stuff and follow me." As inconspicuously as twenty-five women can grab their folding chairs and walk down the street, we followed Joy to the patio of the Hard Rock Café where she told us to wait. A moment later she led us into the gift shop.

Without even having to be told, we arranged ourselves neatly into a reception line. I found myself about sixth in line, standing directly behind Lisa, as it had always been the plan that she would introduce me to Gerry. The other ladies were so sweet as well; they had all been informed that this was my first time seeing Gerry so they were all turning around looking for me, wanting to make sure that I was right up there to have my moment.

I glanced into the restaurant and up at the second floor landing, past the staircase that had been blocked off with the sign designating that there was no entry due to a "private party." Then, all of my breath left me in a whoosh as I saw him.

Gerry was standing at the top of the landing wearing a gray suit, heading towards the stairs. I grabbed the arm of whoever was standing next to me, but I couldn't summon any words as I stared up at him. Judging from the lack of reaction from the ladies around me, I was the first to catch sight of him. I was mesmerized. Suddenly, Gerry was real. Gerry was finally real, and standing in the same room as me.

The quiet buzz and lifting of cameras began as Gerry made his way down the stairs and others caught sight of him. I lifted mine and took a few pictures though I couldn't get the setting right and I knew they were all turning out blurry. At a certain point I just put my camera down to my side and decided to enjoy the moment in the moment.

Gerry was such a sweetie. He gave hugs and kisses to the ladies in front of me, chatting with them momentarily. I'd like to say that time slowed down as Gerry settled in front of me, but it was the exact opposite. The whole thing seemed to be over in the blink of an eye, and I was left stunned, wondering what exactly happened.

Through my intermittent memories, conversations with the gals, and an array of videographic evidence I deduced that this was how it all went:

After taking a hug and kiss from Gerry, Lisa gestured to me.

"Gerry, this is Stephanie. She came all the way from New Orleans to see you," Lisa introduced me.

A huge grin spread across Gerry's face as he turned and looked into my eyes. I was speechless. I was lost in Gerry's eyes.

I'd always loved Gerry's eyes: the most beautiful mixture of green and grey, with even a fleck of brown underneath the pupil of his right eye. I knew Gerry's eyes, I'd spent hours worshipping them in pictures!

But having them in front of me, staring into my own… I was lost. His eyes looked so pale in pictures, but in real life they were deep and dark, and they captured me. I must have lost a second or two in my rapture as Gerry reached out and shook my hand.

"It's nice to meet you," he told me. Then he smiled again. "I'm sorry, I have something in my mouth," he stumbled over the words, gesturing to his mouth with a grin.

"Oh, that's okay," I said stupidly.

"I was just eating chicken wings, and I had a lot of…" he trailed off with laughter.

I could have stood and listened to that man tell me about his lunch all day, but I knew that he had to move on down the line.

"Gerry, can I have a picture with you?" I asked him, surprised at my lack of nervousness.

"Yeah," he nodded affirmatively. I handed my camera to Lisa and she backed up to get both of us in as Gerry wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me into his body.

I was blown away that he actually pulled me into him, rather than just resting his arm on my shoulder for show. He pulled me into a half hug and held me tight as the shutter snapped for the picture.

And then Lisa saved my life.

"Wait, can you smile this time?" Lisa asked Gerry politely as she lowered the camera minutely.

"Yeah," Gerry nodded and pulled me back into him again. I smiled hugely, knowing that because of Lisa's intervention not only would I have a good photo of Gerry smiling, but two pictures with him. The adrenaline did begin to overcome me by that point, and as I smiled for the second photo my lips began to tremble—a strange physiological reaction that I had discovered years earlier the first time I met a celebrity.

The shutter snapped closed again, and my moment was over. Gerry dropped his arm and I stepped away from him.

"Thank you for the picture," I smiled.

"No problem," he answered as he moved on down the line.

I watched after him, trying to drink in the moments as he moved further and further away from me. It all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, he was gone.

Still, I had gotten far more than I was hoping for. I came to Los Angeles hoping for a glimpse of Gerry from afar. Instead, I'd ended up with an introduction, a handshake, a short conversation, two photographs of the two of us together, and a handful of pictures and videos of him talking to me.

I had come two-thousand miles to make Gerry smile.

I had succeeded.

Part Two: The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

I wasn't even supposed to be there.

I was supposed to be long gone; back to New Orleans on the red-eye the previous night.

Instead, I was sitting in a folding chair outside the "holding area" for audience members of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno at the NBC Studios in Burbank, California, at nine-thirty in the morning. We were out there even before they unlocked the gates for the "holding area." We were the first ones there. We were taking no chances on getting into the show to see Gerry, even as we had our tickets clutched firmly in our hands.

As I said, I wasn't even supposed to be there. I had planned my trip before Gerry's talk show appearances had been announced, and I was supposed to fly back to New Orleans the night before. However, after my amazing encounter with Gerry at the Hard Rock, I was hooked.

It wasn't just Gerry though. I was having such an amazing time with the other gals; staying up late giggling and falling off the couch with laughter! I couldn't just walk away from all of that, not so soon… and especially not when the gals had four tickets for The Tonight Show when Gerry was the guest, one of which had been earmarked for me.

So, the very next morning after the Hard Rock experience I had booked myself a cheap one-way ticket returning to New Orleans three days later than I was planning. So what if it was more money? So what if I had to miss an entire week of law school classes? So what if I would have to return to the New Orleans airport a mere few hours after arriving to make my flight out to Ohio later that week? This was the first vacation I had taken in two years, and I was going to make the most of it.

Don't let anyone tell you any differently… Gerry Butler fans are world class waiters. We arrived at the NBC studios at nine-thirty in the morning, knowing that we weren't going to be let in to the studio for the taping until sometime after four.

Did we complain? Never! We just sat in our folding chairs in the (ingeniously planned) shade of the tall trees and laughed and talked as the hours ticked slowly by. When we got hungry or needed to let nature take its course we took the half-mile walk to the gas station for provisions or relief.

Slowly others began to trickle up and set themselves up in the line. It filled up gradually, but it certainly filled up. By the time the NBC employees came to walk us back to the studio, the "holding pen" of attendees was full.

Tensions were high as we presented our tickets, got our numbers, and were seated and waiting to be led into the studio. As the other gals had told me, seating is done pretty much randomly; even if you're first in line you can be led to the nosebleed seats, or directly behind the cameras, or on the opposite side of the studio from where the guests sit, and as they warn you, seating is non-negotiable.

Still, fate smiled on us as we were led into the studio and placed two by two in the first two rows of seats off the floor, directly in front of where the guests would be interviewed. In a deluge of squeals and girlish giggles we reveled in our good fortune: Gerry would be sitting only about twenty yards in front of us!

In keeping with the rest of the trip, the actual events of the taping of the show were a bit of a blur. Certain seemingly unimportant things stood out in my mind, and those are the things that I will never forget.

Jay Leno himself came out before the taping began and took questions from the audience, told a few jokes, and helped explain the procedure of the show. Jay emphasized how important it was for us to laugh during the monologue and during the rest of the show, and at that point he doomed the audience to my hideous overdone fake laughter.

I find Jay Leno to be extremely hilarious, and a lot of the jokes in his monologue that night were genuinely funny. But I'd found that once someone told me to make sure to laugh, I couldn't get my laugh to come out realistically even if it was something I otherwise would have laughed uproariously about! And, unfortunately for the viewing audience, there was a hanging microphone directly above me!

After the monologue and an episode of "Jay Walking," Jay introduced Gerry with a montage of clips of his films. We screamed and applauded for each one. Although, there was one instance where I thought for sure everyone would scream, though nobody did but me. A lone "wooowooo!" that was audible on broadcast was my legacy to the world of the Tonight Show.

When Gerry came out onto that stage, it felt like all of my birthdays and Christmases rolled into one. He looked so gorgeous in his jeans, navy shirt and black leather jacket. A vision! We screamed and cheered and gave him a standing ovation, and he waved our way.

The interview was adorable, but mostly I was just lost. I'd seen Gerry on The Tonight Show a handful of times before, but here I was… seeing it… in person! There was a disconnect happening where my brain wasn't accurately comprehending that he was actually in the room with me again, and I found myself staring with my mouth agape for most of the show. I was conscious enough to notice when Gerry gave a wink in our direction, as well as when he gave a thumbs up to Lisa and wagged his finger at one of the other ladies in our cadre after she blew him a kiss.

"So, Gerry, I hear you like to sing?" Jay asked. I reached out and grabbed the nearest arm I could find. I knew as soon as Jay said those words that I was going to get to see Gerry sing. I loved Gerry's voice, and again, it was a dream come true to imagine that I would get to hear it live.

It wasn't a dream though, and I sat in the audience as Gerry sang the entire song "LA Woman" by The Doors (of which the show only aired about thirty-seconds). Gerry was singing on the other side of the studio though, and a rolling camera had rolled directly in our way, impeding our view of the glorious singing Gerry. We were leaning far to the left and craning our necks to get a better view of our man, when he seemed to see our discomfort and took a few steps to his right so that we could see him better without getting outside the camera shot. Could he have done that just for us? Could he?!

The TV gods were smiling down on us that day, and even the second guest on the show that day, Sofia Vergara of Modern Family, interacted with Gerry a good bit. The whole thing was a dream come true.

I had been informed that the talk shows were fun for the express reason that it entailed a large amount of time of simply sitting and staring at Gerry. I have to say, I was not misinformed.

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno that night could not have further exceeded my expectations. Then, when we stopped into a nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner after the show, we passed by Dylan McDermott on our way in. Bonus.

And to think… I wasn't even supposed to be there.

Part Three: Jimmy Kimmel Live

I'd already had the time of my life on my first Gerry trip. Could it be possible that there was still more in store for me?

Apparently so.

Though we didn't have tickets for Jimmy Kimmel Live the night that Gerry was scheduled to appear, we made our way down to Hollywood with hopeful hearts and heads full of positive thoughts.

We showed up with plenty of time to do a little sight-seeing at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, walking up and down Hollywood Boulevard, visiting with some of the characters who remembered the gals from the Law Abiding Citizen premiere at Grauman's (Elvis and Elmo, specifically!), and eating lunch.

After lunch we made a futile inquiry in front of Jimmy Kimmel about tickets for the show that night, to which they confirmed what we'd already known: they were sold out. So, we popped into a souvenir shop and then headed back to the sidewalk out front of the studio to establish the "stand-by" line.

Just like the employees at the NBC studios who had been amazed that we'd appeared more than an hour before they were even scheduled to unlock the holding area, the Jimmy Kimmel Live employees shrugged their shoulders when we informed them that we were going to start lining up for the stand-by line hours before they'd ever have anyone do so before. It was Gerry, we told them repeatedly. Gerry.

As the hours passed once again, and I became well acquainted with the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard, the ticketed patrons began to show up and line up as well. Tensions were running high as those of us in the stand-by line began to entertain the notion that the studio might be filled with the ticketed patrons alone. Though we were using all of our psychic powers to encourage those with tickets to get busy with dinner and decide to forgo the show, freeing up seats for the stand-by line, we weren't as optimistic without tickets in our hands.

Eventually, someone had the bright idea to begin questioning those with tickets to see if all of their parties had been able to attend. Tickets for the talkshows function more like reservations; they're in the name of one person and simply state how many are in the party. So, if a group registers for four tickets, but only three are able to attend, they theoretically have a fourth ticket in hand that they can use on a stranger who can be absorbed into their party.

Such was my good luck. First in the ticketed line was a group of three people about my age who had tickets for four. As it was my first trip to see Gerry, the gals insisted that I join their party to ensure I got into the show. Although I despaired leaving the gals who I'd become so close to in the days past, I stepped across the velvet rope from the stand-by line and into the ticketed line.

As the studio employees checked our cameras, took our tickets, and filtered us down toward the studio, I used all of my positive energy to hope that the other gals, who were still first in the stand-by line, would get a chance to come into the show as well.

Through the positivity of the girls who I'd attached myself to—as well as my own good old fashioned good luck, I suppose—I found myself once again seated in basically the best seats in the house. Literally, I was in the second row from the stage, directly in front of the chair where the guest was to sit. I was only thirty feet from where Gerry would be! Our seats were so close to the stage that we were actually in front of the area where the rolling cameras would traverse!

Although despairing slightly that I didn't see my gals be led into the studio, my spirit was soaring that I'd had such fantastic luck to make it inside. I even saw another group of gals who'd been a part of the group at the Hard Rock that weekend and they waved and gave me big grins when they saw that I'd gotten a seat in the show. Truly, Gerry inspires fandom in such wonderful women.

As the seats in the studio were still filling up, the warm-up guy came out and began to tell jokes and explain the procedure of the show. After The Tonight Show the day before, it felt like old hat to me. I got a new experience though, when he began giving away free "Jimmy Kimmel Live" t-shirts.

After giving a few away to audience members for screaming and showing excitement, the comedian picked a different tack and asked if anyone had any talents.

"Doing cartwheels!" one girl yelled out. Cartwheels? I thought. I could do cartwheels. Think, think, damnit! Come up with a talent! You must have one! Think of one of your talents that you can do to win a t-shirt!!

"KICKBOXING!" I screamed. Even if I hadn't been sitting in the second row, directly in front of him, he would have heard my enthusiastic pronouncement.

"Kickboxing?" he laughed, turning to me. He solicited a few other talents from other audience members, finding a guy who professed to be able to do "the worm." My kickboxing talent was a favorite among the crew though, who were eager to see me come on stage and demonstrate on the comedian himself. In the end, he invited up on stage the girl to do cartwheels, the guy to do the worm, and me to kickbox.

Since I was the closest to the stage, I was the first to make it up, and I settled myself, not accidentally, directly in front of the chair where Gerry would be sitting. The warm-up guy asked my name and where I was from, and I relayed into the microphone that I was Stephanie from New Orleans. And then, for about twenty seconds, I was up on the stage of a national talk show, kicking and punching and trying my best not to look like an idiot in front of a studio full of people. It was so much fun to just be up there, and I got a t-shirt out of it! What a thrill!

Eventually, Jimmy Kimmel came out, and the filming of the show commenced. The same phenomenon happened as did on Leno, and I found my fake overdone laugh ruling me during the monologue.

Once Gerry came on the stage though, I was nothing but genuine. Seeing Gerry walk out, looking gorgeous once again, in his jeans, gray t-shirt and black leather jacket, my excitement overtook me. Actually this is evident if you watch the show, as you can catch sight of me from behind, bouncing up and down in my seat as he made his way onto the stage!

Unlike Leno, when I had veteran fans who Gerry definitely recognized flanking me, I was on my own in the audience. During Leno, I was sure that Gerry had glanced our way and purposefully given us smiles and waves. Despite this handicap, I waved emphatically at Gerry as he came out onstage , and every chance when I thought he was glancing my way.

I don't know if there was any chance that he would have recognized me from meeting me on Sunday, but at one point he looked in my general direction and gave me a wave. I like to imagine that he made the connection, and that it was truly ME that he was waving at.

Well, a girl can dream. Right?

Again, the show was awesome, and Gerry was adorable as he cheekily discussed the girls who had broken his heart in high school, and I was aghast that he actually named names! I shook my head, knowing that Gerry would have something to answer for in the next few days, and imaging that somewhere out there, his publicist Joy was having a heart attack.

Unfortunately, Gerry left the studio immediately after he finished his part of the show, running out with a little wave behind him. In his absence, it was very difficult to concentrate on the rest of the show, although Gabrielle Union and the musical guest Jamie Cullum were certainly entertaining.

When I finally got out of the studio and was able to meet up with my gals again, I had the pleasure of finding out that even though they weren't able to get into the show, they had their own moment with Gerry at the back exit of the studio! So, what could have been a disappointment turned into a triumph, and the Universe provided for each of us.

Could the week have possibly been more perfect?

I don't think so.

Steph

Edited April 6, 2010 by AbandonThought
Changed topic title to be appropriate for Open Forum

[SouthernGirl28]

I love your story Steph! I'm glad you got to meet Gerry!

April

[JustCallMeTracy]

Oh, Steph, I am so happy for you. I just lived vicariously through you. It made me get chill bumps and quite giddy! Some of the things you describe, the wait and the crowds I would so freak out, but you told the story so well that it was truly an experience for me just to read it. I saw the things you described in my head. Quite vividly. I never knew Gerry had a bit of brown in his eyes. You are a sweet, sweet girl and you totally deserved this. I love you, Doll.

Love,
Tracy

Edited April 6, 2010 by JustCallMeTracy

[ladyfran]

Steph....I guess you do have the Luck of the Irish Sweetie!! Good for you. Great story and thanks so much for sharing your memories with the rest of us...

Frannie

[phoenixgirl]

It was truly an amazing week (which humbled me in many ways) and even though we had such great Gerry moments, more than anything was how much fun WE had. I haven't laughed that much in a long, long time.

What I hope everyone gets out of Steph sharing her story is that it can happen for ANYONE. Everything we did was open to the public so there's no great secret. Just have to get here.

Steph - I also hope this was the first many times for us to share together.

Lisa

[Guest sugarbee]

Wow! I can't imagine being that lucky. I hope your pictures turned out and we can see them soon.

[GerrysGalwayGirl]

Congrats, Stephanie! You are so fortunate to have gotten 3 experiences of being so close to him in such a short amount of time.

I would hope that I wouldn't totally faint from nerves/excitement at having Gerry right in front of me. If I had been at the Jay Leno show when Gerry started singing, I would fall out my chair! That man's voice is just indescribable...

[AbandonThought]

Thanks everyone! It truly was an amazing week, and I know that I was so lucky. Lisa's right though, anyone can do this if you can manage to get out to a premiere location! Gerry is truly such an amazing and gracious man and so giving of his time to his fans. He's an easy guy to love!

Hope I get the chance to do this again, for Coriolanus, and I can't wait to hang out with you again Lisa!! You're right... we did laugh an inordinate amount!

Steph

[Dr. Em]

Steph ~

While I'm happy that you were able to have a very rewarding experience (this time), I worry about our vast number of fans who will go to great lengths for the possibility of seeing Mr. Butler and leave disappointed.

Gerry has been SO accommodating to his fans...FOR YEARS, but we all need to be prepared for the time when that may not be the case anymore.

I think it's important to note that we are fans of HIS, not the other way around. It's all about supporting Gerry, not what you can get for yourself. If we keep that in mind, and go to PA's to meet up with our GALfriends and SUPPORT Gerry, throwing in a nice vacation while we're at it, the chances that we would be disappointed if we don't get the opportunity to see or meet G won't sting near as much.

~ D

[cybrsal]

Thanks for sharing your story with us Steph. Sometimes the unplanned events turn into the best memories. I'm so glad you were able to stay the extra days and enjoy the shows with Gerry and the GALS. I'm glad I got to put a face to the name even though we were with different parties at the premiere. Congratulations on a trip gone wild!

Hugs,

Sally

[AbandonThought]

Oh I know that Dayna! And if you read my story carefully it comes across that I was there to support Gerry and any time I got with him was gravy on top of it. I went all that way with a hope that I would get to see him, and ended up being lucky and getting so much more.

I wasn't trying to say that anyone who makes the journey will have Gerry time, I was just reinforcing that I was in no way special, I didn't have any "ins," and anyone else can have the same kind of luck.

Hope I didn't mislead anyone with my comments!

Steph

Edited April 6, 2010 by AbandonThought

[AbandonThought]

I just want to be extra clear: I went out on this trip with Gerry's best interest at heart. I wanted to be part of the crowd supporting him. I wanted nothing more than for him to see the fans, of which I was a part, and be uplifted. I was so fortunate to have gotten so much more than that this time. I would have been happy to just have a glance of Gerry in the flesh and all the fun time spent with my amazing new friends. But, as fate would have it, there was so much more in store for me. That doesn't mean that I was expecting it, or that I will be expecting it in the future. I had hoped that that had come across when I was writing my story, but perhaps in my excitement that was overshadowed.

Thanks for indulging my clarification!

Steph

[JustCallMeTracy]

I had to read this again. Stephanie wrote it so eloquently. Myself, I could not deal with the that would come with it. I am so happy for all the GALs who get this kind of experience.

Love,

Tracy

Edited April 6, 2010 by JustCallMeTracy

[irish]

Frannie, that was the luck of the Irish? ummmm...I'm Irish and I don't have that kind of luck

Steph, ! I am truly so happy for you. What a dream come true. Congratulations girlfriend! I bet this is something you will remember forever.

hugs,

Sue

[AbandonThought]

Thanks Tracy! You're such a sweetie!

It sure is something I'll remember forever Sue! I had such a great time when I was writing it all up last night; hence me staying up til after 1 finishing it!

So glad you guys are enjoying my story. It really was an amazing time... I mean... I got to stand up on the stage at Jimmy Kimmel Live! WHO does that EVER happen for? The universe really gave me a gift with that week.

Steph

[GBPhanatic]

Stephanie! What a story! I loved it and so happy that you and the other GALS got such a good experience with Gerry! Wish I'd been there too. I've never been to LA and would like to visit it someday and what better way then to plan an outing to support Gerry!

I've been a fan of Gerry's since September 2008 so it will be two years this fall. Since I've been a part of Gerry's fandom, only in the cyber sense so far, I still hold out hope of meeting him some day and actually feel that it will happen. I've heard that as Gerry's star rises that it will become more difficult to see him in person, and even that pictures on the site might get fewer and further between, but so far, I've seen no indication of that whatsoever. In fact, in all honesty and much to my pleasure, it seems to be getting better, from what I can see from the time I joined.

I think Gerry Butler is such a special man that he will go out of his way to show his appreciation to his fans. He says he's put us through hell sometimes and I think he means what we voluntarily put ourselves through in support of him. Many celebrities turn out for their fans and some not so much but it seems that I hear more stories of meeting Gerry and seeing him in person then most then those of disappointment really and stories of how Gerry will hang out with his fans above and beyond the call of duty.

I think most of us always equip ourselves with the understanding that we might not get to see him and when we do, all the better and that's the best way to approach it. Our mission then is always twofold and that is being there for him in force in support and also to perhpas have a moment with him if we're lucky. It's wonderful that so many acknowledged you as a "virgin" and aided in your experience. You were indeed fortunate as sometimes, not all experiences with other fans is pleasant.

I believe Gerry wants us to always feel free to turn out for him and he'll try his hardest to turn out for us in anyway he can, if he can. I have the feeling that he'd be heart broken if we didn't and I've got a feeling from your story, that I don't think it was just in passing that Joy saw you guys out there. He was still eating his lunch when he came down to greet you, bless his heart and then he apologized for having hot wing breath! It's'obvious he made that special effort, and he didn't have to, knowing that the fans would be cut off from the premiere. Don't you just love him to death?!

Lovely story, Steph! I'm so happy that you got your experience and also sounds like the veteran GALS in attendance didn't fair too badly either!

Delene

[Kristine1983]

Wow! Thanx so much for writing about your meeting with Gerry (and the GALS) . I was jumping up and down in the sofa squealing as I read it. That must have been so much fun! An absolutely awesome experience, I can only imagine.

I’m still sitting here with a big silly grin on my face just from having read about it . How did you manage to keep it together seeing him in the flesh? I’m just getting images of myself in the same situation, managing to faint, or start to cry or something like that . I have never seen him in real life before, and I have never met any of the GALS. Hopefully I’ll get to do both someday .

Once again, for writing down your story. I’m really happy for you .

Kristine

[AbandonThought]

Thanks Delene! I think you're spot on with your analysis of Gerry. I think he truly appreciates seeing people out to support him, and that's one of the reasons why he goes above and beyond the way he does. What he did for us that day was truly exemplary. I can't imagine any other celebrity who would have the caring and patience to do something like that! This was my first trip to LA myself, so in addition to all the Gerry-ness, I was on just looking around and seeing all the sights that I'd heard about! You should have seen me get so excited the first time I just glanced down the street and saw the Hollywood sign in the distance!

Awwwww, thank you Kristine!! I love hearing that my story got you so excited, because that's the way I am when I read about others' encounters as well! I'm glad that I can finally repay the favor!! Gerry is such a sweetie, and he gave me a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life. I hope you get your chance someday as well!

How did I keep it together? Honestly, I have no idea! The veteran gals were telling me all day that your first Gerry experience you can't function much more than to smile and thrust a picture out for him to sign. And after the fact they were all telling me how impressed they were that I was so calm and collected. I do think that meditating just before it all went down had something to do with it. And also, I've met some pseudo-celebrities before, and although I was a mess the very first time, each time thereafter got a little easier, no matter who it was that I was meeting. I still wish I'd had my wits about me to crack a joke or something (I would just DIE if I could make Gerry laugh!), but I still did pretty well. Hopefully I'll have another opportunity in the future, and maybe I can be a little more charming.

Steph

[GBPhanatic]

How did I keep it together? Honestly, I have no idea! The veteran gals were telling me all day that your first Gerry experience you can't function much more than to smile and thrust a picture out for him to sign. And after the fact they were all telling me how impressed they were that I was so calm and collected. I do think that meditating just before it all went down had something to do with it. And also, I've met some pseudo-celebrities before, and although I was a mess the very first time, each time thereafter got a little easier, no matter who it was that I was meeting. I still wish I'd had my wits about me to crack a joke or something (I would just DIE if I could make Gerry laugh!), but I still did pretty well. Hopefully I'll have another opportunity in the future, and maybe I can be a little more charming.

I guess none of us know how we'll react in that situation but it seems you did great and you sound like me in that I'm cooler under pressure at the moment but then I may have a melt down later! But we are all different. I kind of have what's called a "delayed reaction" to things! I'd never make it on a game show.

I think sometimes not thinking too much about something like this ahead of time is better. Just being spontaneous and not worrying too much about what you're going to say or how you'll react. It would be amazing to say something clever enough to make Gerry laugh!

I love stories with happy endings, Steph! Sounds like you had a blast. Just tell me something though, now that you've seen him up close and personal, how much are those old creative juices fired up now, eh?

I believe that one of the main things you have to keep in mind that celebrities are human beings too. Like my Mom used to say, "they put their pants on one leg at a time, just like we do" albeit they probably have someone to help them if they need it! They are not gods even though they tend to be worshiped. They appreciate us treating them more like another human being, I believe, then someone we might put on a pedestal. But they are extraordinary human beings too and they appreciate our acknowledgement of that I'm sure.

I remember something Jamie Foxx said about fans to the effect that even though they (celebrities) may see hundreds of fans at a time and it all seems like just another day in the life, taking that small time out to acknowledge the fan with a smile, handshake or autograph will be something remembered the rest of their lives. We thank them so much for that and in my book, that's what makes them more extraordinarily human.

Delene

[AbandonThought]

Very true, Delene. I also don't think it's desirable, or even realistic to go into a situation with a script in your head. I had an idea of what I might want to say, but it was more important to me to be in the moment.

And oh yes, how wonderful it would be to make Gerry laugh! Oddly enough, my social anxiety manifests itself such that I make joke after joke when I'm uncomfortable and I start to relax when people laugh at my jokes. So, if I had had a few more seconds of Gerry's attention, it wouldn't have surprised me to hear a joke spontaneously spew out of my mouth, although I can't guarantee it would have been a funny one! "Jesus, that's a long walk. That's a bad joke."

And yes, Gerry totally GETS how much those little moments mean to us, and that's why he's so generous with his time. Such a sweetie!

Steph

[Melodie]

Such a wonderful story, Steph. I thank you for sharing it with us. I'll admit I shed a tear or two. Your descriptions felt as if I could visually see it. It's wonderful that GALS have had the opportunity to share a moment or two with him, or even just to see him and show support in any fashion. He certainly deserves all the support and praise, and infinitely more. It was a treasure to read, Steph. Thank you.

Amy.

[Songbird]

It was truly an amazing week (which humbled me in many ways) and even though we had such great Gerry moments, more than anything was how much fun WE had. I haven't laughed that much in a long, long time.

What I hope everyone gets out of Steph sharing her story is that it can happen for ANYONE. Everything we did was open to the public so there's no great secret. Just have to get here.

Steph - I also hope this was the first many times for us to share together.

Lisa

Thanks everyone! It truly was an amazing week, and I know that I was so lucky. Lisa's right though, anyone can do this if you can manage to get out to a premiere location! Gerry is truly such an amazing and gracious man and so giving of his time to his fans. He's an easy guy to love!

Hope I get the chance to do this again, for Coriolanus, and I can't wait to hang out with you again Lisa!! You're right... we did laugh an inordinate amount!

Steph

Steph ~

While I'm happy that you were able to have a very rewarding experience (this time), I worry about our vast number of fans who will go to great lengths for the possibility of seeing Mr. Butler and leave disappointed.

Gerry has been SO accommodating to his fans...FOR YEARS, but we all need to be prepared for the time when that may not be the case anymore.

I think it's important to note that we are fans of HIS, not the other way around. It's all about supporting Gerry, not what you can get for yourself. If we keep that in mind, and go to PA's to meet up with our GALfriends and SUPPORT Gerry, throwing in a nice vacation while we're at it, the chances that we would be disappointed if we don't get the opportunity to see or meet G won't sting near as much.

~ D

Steph, it's terrific that the stars all aligned pairfectly for you to have such a great Gerry fan encounter! You must be over the moon, as would any of us!

To all, I think Dayna's post may have been misinterpreted, because Dayna is happy for anyone who gets an opportunity to meet Gerry. I believe the point she is trying to make is that not everyone who goes to the PA's with the same expectations, get theirs fulfilled. Through the years I have read more than one fan's experience after a PA situation, where they were very disappointed that they didn't get their moment with Gerry, and it even came across that they felt entitled to have gotten 'their moment' and somehow held Gerry personally responsible for their high expectations not coming true!

In Steph's case, her expectations were met and exceeded and that is wonderful!

But I would caution any member, especially the newer fans, to read Steph's experience and take it at face value, and not nurture the feeling that all you must do is show up and the same thing will happen again.

I know that Dayna is always working behind the scenes but rarely posts, so for her to do so now, indicates to me that she feels strongly enough about this that she would take time out to caution the membership about their own personal fan encounters, past, present and future.

[milol]

Thanks Steph for your story. It really did move me to tears. He is such a special man and I am so glad you had your time with him. I hope one day I will be able to go to one of the premiers. I had hoped that I would be able to for BH in New York, but it didn't work out. I have been a fan 2 years now and it has only gotten stronger. Thanks again for your story for those of us that haven't had our Gerry moment yet. Linda

[mommaduck]

Yes, thank you SO much for sharing your story with the rest of us. It is an experience

most of us will never have and it is most wonderful to hear this first hand. And it

doesn't hurt that you are a great writer and make is, oh, so interesting.

Big hugs,

Judy

[AbandonThought]

Thanks everyone!

Steph