A Month in the Life

The New Kids on the Block are back together. They made the official announcement this morning on "The Today Show" to a crowd of hundreds of fans. Although they weren't able to perform due to the weather (I mean, that would mess up their hair, right?), they've promised to return May 16. Plus they have a fall tour scheduled to promote a new album they've recorded.

This MTV news article has quotes from a handful of crazed fans who were on hand at the show. They point out that it's been 14 years since the group disbanded.

Boy, does this boy band bring back memories. I was in fifth or sixth grade when I discovered the band through my school friends. I was certain Jesus would not approve of this music because mom and preachers had told me that rock music was bad.

The Desert Storm War was waging, and I remember thinking it was leading to Armageddon. I was horrified, and felt extremely guilty for liking NKOTB, knowing that if the Rapture took place, I would be left behind with thousands of other naughty prepubescent girls who liked them.

Then, one night, as if the war in the Middle East wasn't enough of a sign from God, a terrible thunderstorm rumbled through Middle Tennessee, bringing with it tornado warnings. That was it! The last straw! The wrath of God was coming directly to my house - all because I listened to the devil's music. I repented right then and there to a background of thunderclaps and vowed to release my love for Donnie, Joey, Jordan, Jonathan and Danny. (I don’t think I even owned any of their music.)

Around that same time, I discovered "Carman." I won one of his cassette tapes at my Christian school's fall festival. I took this as a sign from the Lord that He would rather me listen to Carman than those sinful NKOTB boys - even if all the other girls who were cool liked them better.

I had a couple of friends who liked Carman, so we decided to become obsessed with him instead, and suppress our feelings for worldly boy bands.

So, along with my mom, I waited for hours outside of arenas for the doors to open to Carman's free concerts. I bought all the tapes. I had the posters. I had the shirts. I had a couple of videos. Most importantly, I felt like I still had my salvation.

Obsession over Carman soon matured and switched to an obsession with Michael English (who wasn't?) after watching one of those blasted Gaither sing-a-thon sessions on TV. That love was squashed on my 16th birthday when the news of his “fall” was all over the evening news in Nashville.

Not idolizing celebrities – whether Christian or otherwise – was a tough, tough lesson to learn. (I remember one particularly embarrassing moment when I literally got on the floor and kicked and screamed because Mom wouldn't let me go to a Michael English appearance the next day because I would have to miss school.) I guess it was all part of growing up and maturing, but boy were those tortured, painful years ... Can I get a witness?

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