Yuma Star

Let me start by saying that I have never watched American Idol, and I don't intend to start. But this past Wednesday, I found myself seated in Yuma's historic theater, yelling the name of a contestant in Yuma's own version of the talent contest.
My new friend Lisa, a 23 year old teacher from Michigan ( have I mentioned that around 90% of Yuma's teachers come from out of state?) , had been in Yuma one week. But this gutsy recent college grad loves to sing, and is good at it, so she signed up for Yuma's annual singing competition. Since she had no family here to come see her, she gave me one of her free "family tickets" and I promised to be there. And it was fun.
Unlike the TV version, Yuma Star contestants can be anyone brave enough to get up on stage. This made for a fascinating cross section of the community, from the skinny 13 year old in a tube top singing some pop song that I have never heard, to the 41 year old Mexican father in cowboy hat and boots singing a simple ballad in Spanish, to the 24 year old Army member with 2 kids singing "before he cheats" in all that song's angry glory (to the extent of kicking over the mike stand), to the 15 year old whose version of the Titanic song was absolutely excruciating, to the young Michigan transplant dedicating "Gotta be" to her new friends at Yuma school district number one. Then at the end, one of the judges gets up on stage to kill some time while the scores are being tallied. "I'll sing something. Do you all mind if it's about Jesus?" Lots of cheers. So the night ends up with a gospel song sung by the big man with the football player physique.
I like the small town version of American Idol (Idiot?) much better than the TV version. Because it's the chance to see someone just like you, only a little braver or more spotlight-hungry, up there going for it in front of an audience of people praying that their friend won't forget the words, trip onstage, or lose their top. And in the end, when I stood outside in the 100 degree 9 oclock evening waiting for Lisa, and saw the new "stars" walking out of the theater basking in their newfound small town celebrity-dom, I have to admit feeling a glow of fondness for this little city in the middle of the desert.
And yes, Lisa made it to the next round.