Alice

There are a lot of things that form the bond between a Father and Son; from time spent together to learning how to ride a bike, there are many things a child will never forget. Beneath the layer of memories together is a deeper layer that helps a child formulate their own recollection of their Father; his character, actions, faithfulness and His word.

Keeping my word to Atlas is a value that I hold very dear to my heart, as I remember the times my Dad kept his word to me; as well as the time(s) he didn’t. Every beautiful rose has thorns that cause pain.

While he’s [only] four years old, Atlas is conscious enough to remember the things I say, as well as my ability to follow through on my promises. There have been several times where he’s given me a “Dad…you said X” and I’ve had to make an instantanous correction in order to follow through on the particular thing he mentioned.

About a year ago, Atlas and I were talking about Alice Cooper, and I asked him if someday he’d like to meet Alice Cooper. He excitedly nodded, and I looked him in the eye and told him that someday he would. At the time, I had no idea how the meeting would take place, but I was determined to make the meeting a reality.

On countless occasions, Atlas would ask me “Dad, is Alice Cooper coming to our house today?” and I’d have to break the bad news that today wasn’t the day. Meanwhile, Atlas continued to love his music even more; asking to listen to Alice every time we took (and take) a car ride.

He didn’t know it, but around that time, I started writing letters to Alice Cooper; citing my appreciation of his music, while also requesting an audience with Atlas at one of his shows. I never heard a response, which didn’t really surprise me – given the large amount of fan mail I imagine the man receives.

A few months ago, I discovered that Alice Cooper was going to be playing in Dallas. There were a very limited number of “Diamond VIP” packages available, which included an autographed photo taken with Alice Cooper.

“Diamond VIP” was an appropriate name for the ticket package, because they cost about as much as a real diamond…

I upped the ante on my letter-writing to Alice; going so far as to write each member of his band, band manager and even his children – using the internet to help track down their respective email addresses.

Weeks went by and one day I woke up to an email from Ryan Roxie; Alice Cooper’s guitar player, who has played with him since 1991. He let me know that he couldn’t guarantee a meeting with Alice, but instead pointed me toward the Diamond VIP package as my best bet.

I kept an eye on the tickets and watched the number of “Diamonds” trickle down to just a few. That’s when I decided to call my younger brother, Mark, and share with him that I was considering taking Atlas to the show – while also giving him my hesitations about the cost – along with my concerns that Atlas might not like the show experience.

“Memories matter.” he responded.

Five mintues later, I got an email confirmation for my order of two Diamond VIP tickets.

Instead of panic that I had just bought concert tickets instead of a vacation, I felt a deep sense of peace in knowing that I’d be able to keep my word on a promise that I made to Atlas; the opportunity to meet Alice Cooper.

In the weeks leading up to the show, I prepared Atlas for the show by watching his most recent concerts a few times; ensuring the elements on the stage wouldn’t scare him, and discovering there were a few songs that did, due to the props/costumes used.

“Atlas, I’m going to hold you the entire concert” I told him.

Another promise. Atlas is at least 50 pounds now, and I knew it’d be a stretch to carry him for over an hour.

I started working out, with the intention of strengthening my arms and back ahead of the show. While Atlas played in the back yard, I lifted weights with the goal of being strong for the night of the show, for no other reason than to hold him for the duration of the show.

While watching the shows, Atlas noticed that Alice uses a prop sword during his performances. He asked me if I could get him a sword like Alice had. That’s when I told him I’d ask Alice if he could have a ‘real’ Alice Cooper sword. Another promise.

By the time we got to the show, I had a shortlist of things to check off for Atlas.

Meet Alice Cooper.
Ask for a sword.
Hold Atlas for the entire show.

We waited in a line for our turn to meet Alice, during which I carried Atlas. He seemed to weigh as much as a bulldozer, and I wondered how I’d make it through the entire show.

Finally, it was our turn to meet Alice. Excitedly, we walked up to him and he greeted us warmly. I thanked Atlas for the inspiration he’s been to me and my family (for 3 generations) and handed him a letter I wrote him.

After taking our picture, I blurted out:

“Alice, I made a promise to Atlas that I’d ask you if he could have one of your swords. Do you have anything he could have?”

“I’ve got something much better than that.” he responded, while reaching down and picking up his baton. “Let me sign that for him.”

As his assistant prepped a paint marker, Alice and I continued to chat briefly before he signed the baton and handed it to Atlas, who beamed with joy.

As Atlas and I sat inside the VIP lounge waiting for the show to begin, a security guard stopped us.

“Guys, I saw you back there with Alice and I wanted to let you know how awesome that was. Find me after the show and I’ll give you a setlist from backstage.”

Atlas loved the show. Every minute of it. He waved his new baton, fist-pumped and excitedly waved at Alice from our seats in the third row. At the very end of the show, Ryan Roxie threw out one of his guitar picks and I managed to snag it – giving it to a very excited Atlas.

The show finished after two encore songs and I checked off my final promise to Atlas; holding him for the entire show, which lasted over an hour and a half.

Tonight was more than a rock show; it was an opportunity to meet a legend, honor my promise(s) to Atlas, and create a memory togeher that we will never forget for the rest of our lives. That’s worth far more than real diamonds – to us.