Here is a beautiful post from mamasboy from the OTHER boards that I thought people here would be interested in seeing. I'm weeping over it....

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Well this may take a minute or two to read, and i sincerely apologize for how long this may be, but in my original post which some people may have read, I mentioned that i'm a 27 year old guy, I don't even like American Idol. Anyway my post ended up being a thread that had over 300 posts in it and there were really a lot of wonderful, beautiful messages in it. Anyway, my story tonight... I told people in my post that my mom passed away 3 years ago, and she was the most important person in my life, so I accidentally came across elliott sing, and his relationship with his mother and I couldn't help but feel a connection to it. Also, he made a comment about always being labeled the kid with a lot of potential, and he is ready to get past that. That's another connection i felt with him. As time went by, he grew on me more and more each week to the point where I was looking forward to watching him on this show I hate. Then came country week. A few days before the country night I read an article in Rolling Stone about how he doesn't have confidence or stage presence and they predicted him to be in like 8th place. Well during his performance of "If Tomorrow Never Comes" I could tell he was nervous, and I really just wanted him to get noticed and recognized for how amazing of a singer he is, instead of just chris/taylor, etc... So next thing I know it's 90 and i start voting, after a half hour or so i was like, i can't do this anymore, then i convinced myself to go for another half hour, next thing i know it's 11 and i'm still voting. Next night was results night, and even though i was embarrassed, i had to come clean to my sisters that I actually voted for elliott for 2 hours, and next thing i know my sisters love him too. Queen Night came, and we all voted for the whole 2 hours. the next night i really had a bad feeling he was going to get voted off, and so at that point i was inspired enough by him to actually post on the AI message board. Then came results night and Elliott crying when his mom spoke, and him singing Somebody To Love amazingly, and i was even more hooked, then my sisters started talking about how cute he was getting, and i started thinking, hmmm, maybe he can actually pull off the Top 5. Needless to say every week since i voted my a.s.s. off for him, and as I read more about him, I started seeing more parallels between elliott and myself. The close mom relationship, the lack of belief in yourself, the fact that he had trouble in school and couldn't seem to find his way, the fact that he wears his heart/emotions on his sleeve, i'm thinking "This guy is me!!!" I have always been told how much talent/potential i have, and i can't figure out where to go with it, what to do, and so to see someone who i thought was going through the same thing, it started to give me someone to root for, someone to give me some hope, so i wanted him to win so bad just to let me know that sometimes dreams do come true for regular people. At the same time EVERYONE in my family, at work kept telling me i look like chris, but i kept trying to tell them how much of myself i see in elliott. Well I read an article with Claudette and she mentioned how Elliott was always her lost little boy, and she thinks he finally found what will make him happy, and i knew thats exactly what my mom always wanted for me, so now i started wanting him to win just for him to get to do something i never got to do, Have his mom watch him accomplish his dreams. Elvis night came and i was so proud because he seemed to overcome everything that was blocking him, like i felt about myself, i always feel like something inside me is holding me back, but he just let it go and showed how amazing he is. Then top 3 night, and i was just thinking, please let him win, and he came out last night and he didn't seem himself, he seemed a little lost, a little like something was holding him back again, almost like he felt like he didn't belong there, and it broke my heart and i was so disappointed for him, and that leads us to tonight, May 17th. Significant for me because today is the 3 year anniversary of the day my mom passed away. It was a hard day for me, and i just kept thinking "mom, please look over elliott tonight, please, for me, just help him make it to next week." but for some reason i just felt like this was the end of the road for him on this show, then something magical happened, I saw him go home, i saw how much it meant to him, and i saw how much it meant to his mother, and what a beautiful day they shared together in Richmond, and I almost felt like i was living through them in a way. I cried through the whole video of him in Richmond, just how happy, and thankful he seemed, and then i was even more intent on him winning, "PLEASE let elliott get past tonight...." then ryan told us all he was going home... and something even more magical happened, they showed the clip of elliott talking, and he said "I was so lost for so long, now I'm doing what I'm supposed to do, and I always knew that, but i didn't know how to get there, and now I'm here and it's like, wow".... so maybe on the day my mom passed away, instead of elliott moving on, i got to hear words from him that maybe were the exact thing i needed to hear, he gave me a reason to believe in myself again, i'm lost, i have been lost for 12 years now, but i see that sometimes it all of a sudden just comes together, and I believe again. To a lot of people that won't mean much, but to me it meant the world, and i feel like somehow this show i hate, and never wanted to watch ended up showing me someone and something i have been needing for so long, someone, something to believe in, a reason to have hope and faith in myself and it was Elliott Yamin. All I can do is say thank you to Elliott for entertaining me and touching my heart at a time i needed it most. anyone who hung in there and read up until now, thank you so much for doing so, and never forget Elliott.

Thanks for posting C. I love it.

DAMN..it was long. A good read though ;) ...Honestly, I feel like I'm you OR Elliott. I feel the same way. I still have my mother, thankfully. I do feel lost though...>Elliott gave me something to believe in....I will always cherish him. I at times would feel he is me too. I never felt this way ove rno other contestant....I love Kelly Clarkson, but even in that season it was not as strong as Elliott.....further giving my reason to WHY I wanted him to be in the finale. I prayed so much he would....but it just wasn't happening. Also, I've noticed we Elliott fans are the most dedicated fans!. It might not be as big as Taylor's, but the dedication is more IMHO!. I also had a bad feeling about him tonight....but believed in him!.

I had already read this story on the other board, but I love it as much today as I did then. Best wishes.

It made me cry, because it's all true; I feel so much of what he said, and it's true, Elliott makes me hope again even though I've felt so lost for so long. I think God sent him into our lives to remind us that He's still there, watching over us, helping make things beautiful even when we're sick and can't seem to find our way. Thank you Elliott, for the hope you've given me.

As Elliott said in one of his interviews here in Richmond (paraphrased)

"I didn't realize one voice could make such difference" (he's so humble!)

It's so much more than his voice....it's his heart and soul. I believe that people come into your life for a reason (be it good or bad) it's obvious why E was put into ours. I am sure there are many more similar stories of inspiration similar to mamasboy.

Just like you I never watched AI, but for some reason I happened to hear Elliot sing that first night and I have been touched by his voice, his "realness", and now I am on the "Etrain". AI is over for me, but not Elliot, looking forward to seeing and hearing more of him.

I know this is just the beginning for Elliott, I love him and wish him the best and thank him for bringing me together with the others on the E-train.

Thanks for your beautiful words. I too was someone that never really watched AI but, something about Elliott grabbed my attention. I like him grew up wondering where I belonged knowing that I have something to give the world, but not sure how to do it. It seems that I do not always get the credit that I deserve, like Elliott, but he taught me a lesson. Never once did he complain or say anything negative...instead he was humbled and blessed to have whatever oppurtunities were given to him, even if it was less than the other contestants. When he said that thing about how he was lost before but not anymore..I just started to cry. It makes me know that one day I will no longer be lost. That was sort of like my "moment." I know that Oprah is always big on that one "moment" that changed you, maybe some of us whould write to her about how Elliott inspired our "moments." It has been a great ride with you all...Let the dream live on.

Elliott came into my life when I needed something to believe in. I lost my brother in March last year to cancer and then my mother was told she had cancer about a week later. She died last October. Cant say that there was much family support. Just my other brother. my husband and 2 children. Some of her grandchildren have been pretty ugly to me because they didnt get the money they wanted. So life hasnt been easy this last year and then Elliott came into my life and touched my heart. He gave me a reason to believe again that there is goodness and kindness left in this world and its not all about selfish greed. He became like a son to me and Im still crying for him, but I know that with the love and support he has from his family, friends and fans he will be a shining star for all of to look up to from now on.

WOW, your post brought me to tears! I really do not think Elliott KNOWS how much he has done for the "little" people. The ones with low or no confidence in themselves, the "not perfect, Hollywood" types, the humble, mama loving guys. I just do not think he REALLY knows it. I do not think he really knows how much we love him, deep, deep down in our hearts. This man has changed lives, he may NEVER know about it, but he has. We love you, E Dub

Okay, I have another post from the AI Boards to add here. Please note that I didn't write this -- and I also didn't write the initial post in this thread. I just copied and pasted other people's beautiful words....
:)

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In a Sometimes Cynical and Shallow World..Elliott Yamin is a Beacon of Light and Hope....Please Read..
Member Message ETrainBoston2
Posted: 5/17/2006 8:37:00 PM PST
Elliot Yamin came to this competiton only after being pushed to Boston by his girlfriend and mother. He was a shy, unassuming guy with no real direction in his life. He said it best tonight.."I was Lost." Like many others he had been searching for something to hold onto in his life: a goal or inspiration to kickstart him into doing something with his life. Like all of us have been at one time or another in our lives, Elliott had insecurities that had crippled him at times and blocked him from beginning on his pre-destined path.

He wowed the judges with his rich, soulful voice....yet he still seemed to be uncomfortable with himself. Wether it was his physical appearance or his singing ability..he seemed to be doubting himself. When I first heard Elliott's voice I was in the other room not even watching the show..I never had watched it. I heard him singing "In Her Kiss" and I was immmediatley drawn to the fantastic, soulful, rich voice emanating from the television. I came out and said.."Wow! Who is that!" I have been captivated by Elliott Yamin and his personal evolution ever since.

Week by week we watched Elliott grow in confidence. We watched him get more comfortable with himself and stop fidgeting so much He started to get some really positive feedback and boy did he run with it. We began to see a metamorphisis right before our eyes. Elliott Yamin was blossoming into a star.

What endears Elliott to so many people is not simply the vocal brilliance which he displays with such stunning ease.. It is the spirit. It is that WE can see a little, if not ALOT of ourselves in Elliott Yamin. The struggles, the disease, the feeling of not knowing your place in life. We have all been there. Hell, sometimes I feel like I AM there. We were watching someone on a journey that we ourselves have taken, or are in the process of taking at this moment. We rooted for Elliott..because we saw the inherent goodness, the compassion , the sincerity..we saw all of the things in Elliott that we want to have in ourselves. We saw a h8umble guy who loved and respected his family as well as people he came into contact with every day. If you watch when Elliott meeets somebody, he will immediately greet them with a hug, or a FIRM handshake while looking them straight in the eye. This may seem small, but I can assure you it is little nuances like this that can give you a portal into a person's soul. Elliott Yamin is sincere. He has no pretentions, so he can look you in the eye.. and embrace you. He is all about love and compassion and you can see it in everything he does.

Watching Elliott grow has given me such hope for the futrue. I am trying not to be mellowdramatic, but I have 5 and 7 year old girls. In a society where so many entertainers do things just for the almighty dollar and don't give a crap what damage they are doing to the youth of America, it is refreshing to see someone I can be proud to have my children emulate. Elliott Yamin never once compromised himself. He never went away from who he was. When other contestants chose 'flashier" songs..he chose songs that MOVED him...and that he was just itching to get out there to EXPRESS himself and in the process, MOVE YOU! I firmly believe that Elliott cares so deeply about how he can make a positive impression on his fans lives. The Love and Joy this kid has bottled up inside of him his entire life was coming out in buckets every week for us.. So that we could see him..that we could know who he was...and so we could love him and his craft.

In all of our lives we have all had setbacks. We have had insecurities wether it be that we don't like our bodies, or our looks, or maybe we have diseases that prevent us from doing things others can... Elliott was in his own way, fighting for all of us. He was showing us that you don't have to be what everyone else wants you to be.. He was being himself, in the beautifally touching Momenst we shared tonight with Elliott was the culmination of all his hard work..He has made it. He has proved what a beautiful human being he is. He has proved that we are all special no matter who or what we are.. and that we are all in thsi together.. Elliott Yamin is truly an embassador for the Human Spirit.

I don't know how spiritual everyone is..I am lukewarm myself. I do believe in God..and I believe that he sent Elliott Yamin on this path...to show the goodness of the human spirit and show us all how to love and express our love for one another in a true and pure way. It is not important who won the competition.. The importance lies within the Spirit, soul, and love Elliott Yamin brought to so many millions of people around this world. In a world where the every day grind is enough to make even good people lose sight of what is important, Elliott Yamin has helped us to refocus.

God Bless You Elliott Yamin..

You are loved

C
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{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{ Lee }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

I am going to send you a PM, check your inbox.

I have this story written out on another forum.. and im really proud that its on yamin machine as well :) and here i am, sharing it with you.. thanks to Smelly and Azcat :)

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Im a die hard Elliott fan all the way from Pakistan. I doubt youll find many here most of us pakistanis were voting for Chris.. cause lets just say.. it was COOL to cheer for him :P

NO.. im NOT a Chris fan.. i DID like him a lot.. but he never came close to ELLIOTT.. and no my name is DAUGHTY not DAUGHTrY.. hehe thats my nick name

SOmething really sweet happened today while i was watching AI.. mainly while i was watching Elliott sing and i really wanted to share it with all of you it meant a lot to me at that time, cause i truly understand the situation and the culture in my society...

Here goes:

In Pakistan not many ppl are educated.. Out of the 30 percent who are somewhat educated, a large percentage, lets say 23 percent , cant speak or understand english properly.. which leaves us with approx 70 percent of the whole population who are illiterate! Though my fathers educated.. his brother never passed third grade.. he is part of the group who cant understand english.. except for a few words like yes/no right/wrong blah blah.. While I was watchin american idol, he was over at our place and started watching the show with me.. After trying to understand what was going on and failing to, he finally asked me what the show was about.. so I explained it to him in simple words saying that it was a singin competition.. and that three contestants were left, out of which one would be us leavin tmrw..

My uncle started watchin the show with me.. and tried hard to understand what the judges were trying to say.. the poor soul never really understood a word and hence kept asking me what everyone said...

He heard.. Elliott sing.. went on to Kat.. and eventually came down to Taylor.. The second Elliott was done singing his second choice.. to my amazement, he stood up excitedly with a huge smile on his face and said.. yeh daari wala jeetay ga pakka which meant.. the guy with the beard will win for sure (Elliott)

The whole reaction by an illiterate man, who cant speak english, doesnt understand one word, understood HIS TALENT. The whole thought brought instant tears to my eyes and an even bigger smile... Thats what Elliott is about.. you dont NEED to KNOW anythin.. all you NEED to do is HEAR!! Elliott touches our soul!! He touched an illiterate mans soul.. He surely is pure! TRULY.. Elliott youre our angel God bless him!!!

sigh im sorry if i wasted everyones time.. but it meant the world to me.. it really did I LOVE ELLIOTT YAMIN!!!

Elliott we did everything we could.. We pray that you make it YOU TRULY DESERVE IT!!!! you definitely do

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I wrote this before the results show.. and now.. he's not part of the final two.. but it doesnt matter.. cause he's gonna get far.. really really far.. and this time his fans wont have to be behind a busy line to TRY AND GET TO HIM.. this time we'll be there with him :) *muah* i love you elliott!!