The past few months, I have been fascinated by my reaction to Clay Aiken. When I have looked at various sits on the Internet, I discovered that I definitely was not alone. There is something going on here. I have read various articles and posts which analyze just what it is we find so appealing about this wonderful singer. So far, most everything I have read rings true. Yes, he has a sensational voice, a remarkable personality, the mysterious "X factor", an exceptional display of character, and an overwhelming sexual charm, but I think his appeal goes even deeper to a mythological level which has awakened various elements of our unconscious that may have been lying asleep for some time.

Carl Jung writes about anima and animus figures. These are mythological figures of a person from the opposite sex which our unconscious minds latch onto to help us to deepen ourselves. Being of the old school of psychologist, Jung spent much of his time focusing on the anima or feminine figure that males have used to widen their spiritual connection with their worlds. He offered a boring model of a wise old man with the white beard for the animus, or masculine figures that females seek, and that image has always fallen flat for me. For me, the animus needs to be wise, good, principled, but also playful, innocently sexual, and artistic. He needs to be a mischievous Loki with angel's wings. In other words, Clay.

Until this spring, I had not found anyone that answers to this mythological need. It’s sad, but so many of the men I know in my life lack character and substance. If I look outward to leaders and celebrities, the picture becomes even bleaker. Our political leaders lie and act like weasels with their dealings in their offices. Our sports heroes seldom have personalities that match their physical skills. Our religious leaders continually involve themselves in scandal and spend most of their time vying for power and money. Too many of our musicians sing songs with trashy and sexist lyrics. All I had left was characters from my imagination or characters from books, but nobody real. It left a real hunger inside me and it wasn’t until Clay came along that I realized how long I had been seeking this myth to awaken parts of myself that had fallen asleep under a deeply entrenched cynicism.

One of the many things that caught my attention about Clay was the fact that he was in school training as a special education teacher. I also have a background in special education and have worked in a variety of settings teaching both children and college students. Although I enjoy what I do, it seems there is always a continued subtle devaluation of my choice to teach in this context. Actually, I have even experienced the not so subtle devaluation of having someone close to me tell me that, since the students I have are not among the brightest of people, they won’t amount to much, and therefore, what I am doing is worthless. Over time it has be easy to loose sight of the reason I made the choice that I did. I have even said to myself that I am pretty smart: I should have gone into some kind of business career so I could make a lot of money and then people would value what I do. It’s funny, because I know better, but it is easy to loose track and start accepting all the messages out there about what gives something worth and value. Clay’s message, which comes out so sweetly, woke me up and helped me to remember why I made the choice I did. It’s such a simple message: Just try to make sure what you does makes a difference in the world.

And along with that message stands the myths he inspires. I think of the kissing the toad and getting the handsome prince myth. When I first saw Clay on American Idol, I thought that he did look like a geek, but I was angry at the judges for being so superficial. I remembered thinking that I hope he makes it to the top just to show them. Then, of course, I watched him become transformed each week into the absolutely adorable person he is. This myth reminds us how we need to look closely at the people or things we might initially reject. Maybe what we are looking for hides in the least expected places.

Then there is the myth of the underdog. He doesn’t make it through the first audition, but he comes back. He gets booted from the group in the top 32, and then comes back as the Wildcard choice. He sometimes suffers from scathing, and totally unjustified, reviews from an idiot judge but keeps smiling his gentle smile. He then misses winning the contest by a slim margin, but his post American Idol experience has been amazingly successful. His experience seems to remind us that what might be seen as loosing can actually become winning if we keep our eyes set on the right goals and right dreams.

Then there are the stories his voice tells when he sings. I wouldn’t know how to begin to describe what has happened to me when I listen to his music. All I know is that this seemingly impenetrable wall of cynicism that I built up around me has been punctured. I remember what I used to believe, what I used to feel, and what I used to dream about. He tells me once again that it’s real and true. It’s just that life can take us to very dark places and it can be difficult to hold onto what is good in this world. It’s so easy to forget, but it is amazing how one voice can help us to remember.

Lastly, there is the strange, animus myth, the male figure who can accompany us into our depths. I have had dreams about exploring my attic with Clay and showing him some of the places in a mystical town I once lived in. He had become this archetypal image of someone who can show me this strange world of my unconscious. He has become a guide and a symbol of something that I don’t know, but would like to know. It’s something big, something strange, and something magical. I think it is Clay’s goodness and decency that has made this figure come alive. It is also his innocent sexuality that he teases us with in his performances that gives the figure its power and attraction.

He is so many things mixed into one. He has been so missing in my life, and this puzzling attraction, this strange reawakening, and this exuberant fun I have been experiencing has come during a time when I didn’t think I would ever find my way again. What I read in the posts and articles written by other people about what they have experienced with Clay suggests that there are similarities to what I am experiencing. It seems to speak of a real need that has been there for so many of us for so long. Maybe it is important to recognize what is happening and define what we are responding to. Then again, maybe at some point, we can put our analysis aside and just go along with what I hope will be a very enjoyable ride. True myths don’t fade away and I predict Clay will be around for a very long time. We need somebody to sing our songs.