-
I felt a bit of
apprehension as I watched my husband turn and walk away after taking me
to the airport for the first leg of my trip. A sleepless night before
departure didn't help my nerves. I kept asking myself what I was doing,
going half way across the country to a destination in yet another
country to meet up with and spend time with relative strangers whom I
only knew from the internet. I'd heard horror stories like this!! Well,
let me tell anyone who is even remotely thinking of doing this in the
future...DO IT! It is absolutely worth it.
|
-
Alice says "Oh!", dived into her bag and came up with a little gold box
with a clear lid. She opened it and said, "Would you like a chocolate?"
Well, yeah! We each took a chocolate and were about to take a bite when
we realized that these were no ordinary pieces of candy. On each little
square was a picture of Michael from one of his best angles (from
Obsessed...you know the one!). I'm sure the people at the terminal
thought we were nuts, because we just squealed over these little
candies.
|
-
Then I spotted it, the
auction item I wanted......a signed picture of Roy. You know how you are
drawn to some pictures of him, well, the feeling I had was I have got to
have this picture. It's somewhat of a profile shot of him and his eyes are
sparkling and he's got that I didn't shave look and it's him. It's not him
as a character like Michael or Ross; it's him---Roy. I think it was taken
at a LFN convention when he showed up unannounced. It's a perfect picture;
I melt every time I look at it. (And, I'm proud to announce that I did bid
on the picture at the auction on Friday and I'm the proud owner of that
picture.)
|
-
The race
itself was a riot to watch! Everyone should have to opportunity to see
this race at least once. I laughed and screamed so much I nearly lost my
voice. It was as much fun as I had hoped it would be...absolutely great
entertainment! It didn't matter who won. Everyone had a ball.
There were many collisions, practically a demolition derby, and cars
were marooned in the middle of the track in several locations, which
made the laps even more adventurous for the remaining racers!!
|
-
He greeted
each of us with a hand shake and a hello and then calmly slid his arms around
our shoulders for our picture. Then he shook our hands again saying that he
would see us later. I simply said "Yes, you most certainly will!" As all of
our little group is making its way back to the stand, my knees started to
buckle.....I HAD JUST MET ROY DUPUIS!!!! Be still my heart. I believe I shed a
few tears on the way.
|
-
The word that first came to mind in an attempt
to describe this meet is .... impressive!!!!!! The moment he arrives at
your table you really feel he's there for you .... the ones at the table. When
he's talking to you, it's not just his voice that carries towards you, but his
entire body is .... he as a whole directs towards the person he talks to! And
what's more .... if you touch on a subject that interests him, you can really
notice his enthusiasm increasing .... in the way he talks about it, in his
open facial expression!! All that I've been reading about him and about him
meeting his fans is absolutely true .... he really is a nice, in a very
genuine way, man .... someone to treasure and respect!!!!!!
|
-
I respected
the fact that he fully participated in the push and pull of thinking out loud
about what is right in this particular situation. He took a firm position on
the ultimate authority [for damming rivers] resting with the broader
community, and I'm not sure I would agree with that (and I wonder whether he'd
feel the same if, say, his land was co-opted by the state in the name of a
greater good). But for sure he is fun to debate, precisely because he is tough
and firm in defending his position. It amazes me that everyone is always on
about his looks (great as they are), when it's his brain that's the most
intriguing part.
|
-
But I do remember his eyes. They are warm, sincere and
very, very serious. He really wants to know what you want to say to him. Like
someone said, he looks right into your eyes, as if nobody else existed. It's
AMAZING. And he does it with EVERYONE, when he talks, shakes hands, or just
accepts your simple "thank you" after taking pictures.
|
-
I can't remember the exact order of conversation, but I do remember the
eye contact!!!! As I was talking to him, he never lost eye contact and
as he was talking to me, I never lost eye contact. I figured, if he's
not looking away there's no way I'm looking away. He is just a gorgeous
man......inside and outside.
|
- When she began to speak to
him, Roy turned to face her. During her speaking, she got choked up or for some
reason hesitated due to emotion, and what happened next sealed the deal for me
as far as loving this guy! He reached out with both his hands, took her little
hand in his hands and leaned into her space to hear and comfort her. When she
was finished speaking, he squeezed her hands and told her how much he
appreciated what she had said. It was so beautiful that it brings tears to my
eyes to think of it. He was so very dear. Of all the things I saw on this trip,
that was the most beautiful sight.
|
-
The scene I
witnessed reminded me of something Peta Wilson had said once about him that
kind of goes like this "I call him Royal. When I'm having a hard time with a
scene, he takes my hand and looks me straight in the eyes. He centers me and I
am able to get through it." I think that is what he did for you. I think he
sensed how important it was to you to finish and he helped you with great
sensitivity and understanding.
|
-
Well, someone
suggested that Roy sign things, after we had talked with him a bit. I think
that's when he said "Don't you want to go to bed?" Given that he hadn't
*started* at our table until 2:30 am, this was a reasonable question. The way
he said it was so natural, in the kind of voice you would expect from him in a
comfortable state at a late hour. But of course Shirley and I immediately --
great minds think alike! -- cautioned him on his word choice. To be honest, he
looked delighted to hear that he'd spoken dangerous words for the company he
was keeping!
|
- Then, my final
memory.....Roy is exiting the room carrying a gift bag that Miss Jan had given
him. He looked so cute, like a little school boy carrying his books, going home
after being at school all day; except this was a grown man carrying a gift bag
and leaving a room full of admiring fans and he was simply going home to get
some rest and begin another day.
|
- As someone who met RD for
the third time this time, I was just struck by how much more relaxed and in
control of his place in the situation he seemed to be than the first time I met
him, when he looked like a man going to his sacrifice at the hands of the rabid
LFN fan-goddesses.
|
-
I'm still
amazed at how he's kind, sincere, gentle, graceful and so on. From what I've
read for years, I expected him to be. But he's way beyond my expectations!
|
-
I have to say
I am always at a loss for words when it comes to describing my experiences
meeting Roy. Words just don't do him justice.
|
-
Here at RDO we
have treated Roy with the utmost respect. Treating him with respect when
meeting him seemed very natural. But what I didn't say is he treated each of
us with the same respect. That is one thing I did not fully convey as I
couldn't label it at first. Something so simple and often lost in all the
other emotions at the time.
|
-
He is
everything you want him to be and more. He's gracious, sensitive, genuine,
funny and very attentive. There were about 90 to 100 ladies and each one of us
could say that he made me feel special. What a MAN!!!
|
-
I agree completely with all of your observations about Roy; I've been to
all the MIRA events and both Rivers Foundation Conferences, and I come
away more impressed with him as a person every time.
|
-
I've been a
Roy fan for a number of years but he absolutely solidified why I'm a Roy fan.
He stole an even bigger chunk of my heart!
|
-
I fell head
over heels in love with Montreal on my first trip there - five years ago. I
have gone back every summer, ever since then It's another thing I'm thankful
for about Roy - I'd have never been curious enough to travel to Montreal if it
hadn't been for what I'd read about the city in the articles about him.
|
-
And we all
just kind of did the thing that we were best at........Me with making sure we
were scheduled for bathroom time and being on time when necessary. Alice was
great at navigation.....I think we would still be roaming the streets of
Montreal trying to find our way home from the first night if not for her.
Mary, our little pace setter........boy, she can move for a little thing. Pam,
our bait.........we got lots of good service. And Viv .......our mentor, she
taught us what real homaging is. I revelled in the glow of each of you. You
were dear to me before meeting but now you are part of me.
|
- Yes, I admit .... there
were tears. But why not .... I had spent a very special week with very special
ladies!!!! Thank you ladies, for a wonderful week!! The decision to join
in the trip to Montréal felt good from the moment we started discussing it ....
a feeling that's proven right!!!!!!
|
-
And to this
day I still have to control myself......I think about something that happened,
something I treasured and the waterworks begin. I truly miss the camaraderie
we shared. Did anyone ever finish a sentence alone? And were we not instant
friends at first meeting? Anyone watching us would have thought we were long
lost friends seeing each other after a long period of time. Did we ever stop
talking? And how many times did we say "We are going to meet Roy".........
"We are going to meet Roy today"............"WE MET ROY!!"
|
-
When he [my
husband] saw me at the airport (he came to pick me up), I looked different, he
told me later. He realized how happy I was with this trip and was glad for me!
Before I left home he was determined not to allow me to do this again, but he
seemed to have changed his mind.
|
-
Today I was
asked if I was back in the groove at work or was I finding it difficult to get
back in the groove. I said that I was back in the groove at work, that was no
problem, I'm just not the same person that left. I just smiled and walked
away.
|
- I haven't been able to
stop smiling for weeks!!
|