Your Weekly Townsend Fix Column 41

Hey Everyone!
First off I have a special segment to this. A lot of you are wondering about how "Project: Inspiration" came from. Well I asked Lisa, who inspired the idea of a project to write a special segment addition to this week's column. It took a lot of guts and you will soon realize that the theme of this column is endurance. Lisa emailed me about what you will read about. She told me the same story you're about to read and I realized that she was one of those stories that I hear every now and then and it pushed me to start "P:I." So here's the segment.

Greetings fellow Townsend fans!!! My name is Lisa. Kristen has so graciously asked me to write a guest column for RPCC this week, so here I am. (I hope I can live up to expectations, he he.)
As some of you know, I gave Kristen the idea for Project: Inspiration. It is dedicated in loving memory to my older brother, Micheal. Some of you are interested in the story behind that, so... here goes.
My brother passed away before I was born. I have never gotten to see him, hear his voice, or even know if he hated broccoli like I do. All my life I've known that I had a brother, but known nothing about him at all. There has always been an empty part of me that nothing has been able to fill.
Then.....I met five young guys by the name of Townsend. The first time I heard "Just Say Goodbye," I was brought to tears. Hearing them sing that song made me think of my brother (who would be about Todd's age) and all of the memories I don't have of him. I know that it wasn't, but I feel like the song was written for me.
Over the few times that I've gotten to talk to the guys, they have been so wonderful to me. I don't feel like I'm their fan, I feel like I'm their friend. With the kindness of the guys, a part of me has been filled. Although I still miss my brother, I feel like I have five big brothers. I am so thankful to the guys for being a part of my life, they have touched me in a very special way.
Well, that's my little story, I hope you enjoyed it. If any of you want to e-mail me, my address is letsrolldc@y... Thanks for letting me write this weeks column, I enjoyed it.

Much Love,
Lisa

*Note from Co-Founders: Lisa you display great courage, strength, and endurance. Thank you for sharing your story and inspiring.* Regular Column:

Well another sick column from a co-founder. Good news is I feel better. Why? Because Holly, my partner in crime is beyond the most incredible, sweet and caring person in the world! So here's what happened. I'm sitting at the computer trying to figure out what to do with a Got Ryan T-Shirt that Holly and I are making so you can identify us and a cusomized T-Shirt at Matt Yoakum's request. The phone rings and I slam my hand on it to answer what is probably my mom who wants to make sure I'm drinking my fluids, resting, and eating (not like i can do all 3 at the same time but I guess you're supposed to when you're sick). I've gotten the parental "Chill out" from my parents and my Pops (Trex for you guys) since the cause of sickness is probably stress. Anyways, The phone rings, I reach for it and in a probably unworthy and sick tone I say "Hello?" Who is it? My partner in crime, Holly. We had talked the other night about my withdrawls of Townsend and how i feel like the dumps with a headache that won't go away. Well Holly tells me to hold on and I hear "Hey Rye!" Nothing, and I mean NOTHING registered. I've been so mentally tarded from everything that I feel like I've disconnected a couple circuts in my head. Well, Rye picks up the phone. As usual, the sweetheart. I was trying to keep from smiling so hard i couldn't talk. I had one of those "what do i say to not sound stupid?" thoughts run through the head and by the time i had figured it out, I gave up on the idea since I'm way past that with Ryan. Luckily, he speaks Kristen as a second language. The phone was passed back to Holly and she told me to hold on again! This time I figured it was to tie her shoes or something. Well all of a sudden Nick popped up. "Hey Nick!" "It's not Nick it's Matt." MY BAD! Boy am I gonna get it from Matt next time I see him. Anyways he told me not to sweat since his own mom can't tell the two apart on the phone. He was beyond caring. Ladies, let me tell you this, Matt is probably one of those guys that can make you smile without hugging you. Even though those hugs ARE nice. Anyways I told him I was sick. And my Matty, caring as he is goes "Diarrhea?" I told him that instead I was throwing up and he goes "Well better out one end than the other." Yes, Matt is a compassionate, loving, well mannered boy. I think every conversation with Matt is probably amusing enough to cure anything. If I ever find a guy with Matt Yoakum's personality and Matt Damon's looks...I'm going to keep him. (Haha just kidding...Brad Pitt's looks have to be in there too.) Anyways I figured I could probably talk to Matt about five more years and then I realized that if Matt gave me a visual, or said something off context of his shirt i probably would throw up (from the muffin I had for breakfast) and that I should talk to Holly. Holly asked me which twin I wanted to talk to and since I had talked to Nick on Sunday I figured Dom would be a nice surprise. Well Holly goes "Dom, Kristen." And Dom, goes "Who?" I'm telling you if I could reach through the phone and smack that boy on the head, I would...and I would make sure I got the hair too. He was funny and yes, was konfused, like me about a lot of things, actually, everything we talked about. If I didn't konfuse him he konfused me. I'll tell you this much though, he did more talking than Matt and Ryan put together and it was nice to hear his voice on the line. Holly has cured me! Thanks Holly and I'll pay for that phone call too. I'm getting a lot accomplished while I'm sick actually. Catching up on Passions, Jenny Jones, and TRL. Last night I couldn't find the strength to haul my butt to bed so I ended up laying on the couch till 11 watching Comic View on BET. That show has got to be the funniest thing since Jim Carrey. I was already in a better mood since I was able to talk to Chris from my drama class. He's the funniest guy in the world. In fact he'e getting his smart (wisdom) teeth pulled out. He has SEVEN! We like to think it's because he's extra smart (wink wink). He told me "Whatever common sense you saw in me Tuesday will be all gone by Monday." The poor guy is nervous but we put together online a list of videos he can watch. They're ALL comedies. Everything from that spunky Biodome movie with Pauly Shore to Saving Silverman with Jason Biggs and Amanda Detmer (both from Boys and Girls...which Ryan was in...3 times). I think we even got Robin Hood Men In Tights on there. This guy is hilarious. Him and Nick make up these videos which is like Jackass meets Tom Green. I guess you have to see it to get it. But anyways Shanny if you ever find you're way to this club (drugged up on painkillers and all) get better and see you Monday! I guess he'll have time to catch up on sleep and stuff too. Both of us realized chatting last night that we hate geometry and are trying to figure out the dynamics of puke and whether or not if I do it in class since I'm sick if there's any possible way I can miss a classmate. Don't ask.

Sometimes when I watch music shows I think "How much longer for the guys?" I mean even though I"m probably the most impatient person in the world who else is feeling like this? I am! I was watching TRL and Carson talks about this and that about how John or Jane Doe is going to be the next big thing. The day I can die happy is when Townsend IS that big thing and they are what every single one of you reading this is hoping for them. I was just talking to a couple of people and I'm like "Where has time gone?" I mean in between the hectic day at the Christina concert, the phone calls to Micheal Mann, and thte memories I have of them, it HAD to have happened somewhere. I think it's all a blur for one reason, the guys' personalities. I think that nothing really big has changed personality wise and they're still the same. What a sweet thing to think about.

Let's face it, this dream called "Fame" to a lot of us is so illusive that we dismiss the fact that we could do it if we really tried. It's hard to grasp. It's like love you know what I mean? You never know what it is until you've truly realized and felt what it is and now you have to set out after it to get it. It's inspiring to think that there are people who are doing it the old fashioned way. Let's face it, the guys haven't lived quite the charmed life as far as the road to where they are now. They had to PAY for their own demo! They paid for webspace and they paid for everything. Now at least the have managment. The guys are still paying for a lot of things though. I was talking to Nick one time I had to drop some stuff off and he told me that they don't have a crew to assemble the sound system so they get up early go out to the school and do it themselves, they also are paying for rental of a 24 seater (half of which is used for equiptment), and the system. He said that they'd be lucky if they didn't OWE anything after it's all done. They're paying for the chance of fame. For the chance of maybe when they walk into a school that they MAY not be recieved, or maybe they will. So far karma's been good to the guys and every school has recieved them with open arms. Sometimes I look at that and it's like "wow I want to do that too." I want to be famous. Heck who doesn't? I'd love to get made up, play dress up, and do interviews, sign autographs, and take pictures. But after I give it some serious thought, I have to be mentally strong to endure all things that the guys are. Being physically, emotionally, and mentally strong is something that takes guts. I get the jitters while speaking in front of a large crowd. I used to get really shaky in front of my drama class. At the beginning of it my teacher would say "Ok Kristen, go up there with so-and-so and play Soap Opera (an improv game where you have to make up and establish a plot of a Soap Opera). I mean I got so shakey I would've needed a new pair of pants. Now it's like i WANT to go out there and play Soap Opera and I'm practicing the craft of acting. Then she did a run through of a real audition. Do you have any idea how fried you are under that pressure?! I went up there and said to myself "Ok it's not for real." But if it WAS real I probably would run out of the joint crying for my mommy. Basically you go up there and they put you in the middle of everything. They say you're name wrong, talk about your physical flaws right in front of you (talk about descreet), tell you you're saying the script wrong, and as the weight question. I know that I want to act but acting at the cost of that...I really have to build up for that.

Why did I go off on that tangent? The guys are enduring it. People say negative things about them and they take it like constructive critism. They use that to make what they do better and stronger. How cool is that? I don't know if it's in the water that they drink or what but that's something not a lot of people can do. Don't you love how the guys inspire you without even saying anything? The best inspiration comes from actions, and the guys have done just that.

That's it for this second column. I don't know if I will be able to write mid next week so this one is for the week of the 3rd through 9th. Once again thank you Lisa for your segment!

Stay Safe & Stay You
Love Always,
Kristen
xoxoxo

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