Aaron’s Struggle
written by: Doug Bartlett
It seemed like only yesterday that he was young, scrawny. A kid from the back woods of Middle America. But now here he is backstage, anxiously pacing back and forth as he listens to the impatient and boisterous crowd in an arena packed to maximum capacity in one of the largest cities in this same country. They were screaming at the top of their lungs and chanting his first name with all the energy they had.
It was almost intimidating enough to keep him from going onstage. Almost. He was always able to muster the courage to face the crowd, his loyal fans. He thought it would be easier to do as time went by, but somehow it wasn’t. Sometimes the butterflies in his stomach flew so hard he thought he would vomit them up.
So why would he continue to do this to himself? It wasn’t for the money. It wasn’t for fame. No, he felt like he owed it to his mama, God rest her soul. She sacrificed so much for him, and she formed his character so well. He felt that he had no choice.
Deep down inside, he would have loved to walk away from this lifestyle, which would end up being the death of him. However, his mother’s influence on his life, even after her death, was very strong and ran hard and deep; it was just short of haunting him day and night.
As he stormed onstage, he went into autopilot mode and performed without even realizing what he was doing. This allowed him to concentrate on what he usually thought of most of the time.
He thought. “Would he ever find peace, satisfaction, and true happiness?” That was his fear, that he wouldn’t.
As the concert came to an end, he rushed backstage. He could hear his fans roar his name in unison. You would think that would have a positive impact on him. His fans wanted an encore, but he was apparently numb to it, as it had no effect on him.
His security people simultaneously opened the back door of the arena for him and the elongated rear door to the stretch limousine waiting for him. He was halfway to the limo when he once again heard that all too familiar comment the announcer always made, “Elvis has left the building.”
- Aaron’s Struggle - August 16, 2026
- She’s Trying - June 6, 2026
- Cupid is Alive and Well - February 14, 2026
