Confession Time: I hate American Idol. I haven’t always hated American Idol, but I’ve never been a fan. However, add Nicki Minaj to anything and my like vs. hate needle will quickly shift toward the extreme dislike.

Truth be told, I’ve only watched one half of one season. That would be the David Cook vs. David Archuleta season and it mildly held my interest, but when it was over, so was my desire to see any more.

One of my biggest complaints has always been the audition process. I just hate seeing people desperate to get on TV make fools of themselves, or even worse, people who truly believe they have talent, who…WOW…Just Don’t!

Because of my feelings about American Idol, I have never watched America’s Got Talent, The X-Factor, and up until three weeks ago, The Voice.

But then word started seeping out that a local boy from good ol’ Thatcher, Arizona was going to be making an appearance on the NBC show. I don’t believe I’ve ever met Ryan Innes, but I know his parents very well and other members of his family are some of my very best friends. So, three weeks ago, out of loyalty, I tuned in to the premiere of The Voice.

You know what? The show ain’t that bad. I genuinely like each of the judges. They are entertaining in their back and forth with each other and you get the sense that they actually enjoy working together. They also don’t get in the way of the people who are performing.

Which brings me to my favorite part of this show. From the first night, the worst performance I have seen was still pretty darn good. They don’t force the viewers to wade through hours of off-key train wrecks. You get right to the good stuff. And the added dimension of the judges not knowing what the peformers look like and having to make judgements on the voice alone is actually very intriguiging. Overall, I have been enjoying this show a great deal. The one thing I wasn’t seeing was Ryan Innes.

Then, last night, we got word that after three weeks, he would finally be on. So, my family and I settled in for the duration. And we waited…and waited…and finally after the full two hour broadcast, (I missed the entire NCAA basketball finale between Louisville and Michigan. How is that for friendship and loyalty? I should be getting an ice cream cone or something. Anyway…) Ryan showed up as the final act for the night. Now we have seen four episodes prior to this one so we knew that if you get showcased in the final position of the night, it’s going to be pretty good for you. And…to see how it went, click here.

I have to say that even though I have never met him, I am very proud of Ryan. But my favorite part of that video are the shots of the family. You see, dreams are funny things. You don’t wake up one day with a dream and walk down to The Voice studios and make it a reality. They are often years in the making. And almost no one makes them happen alone.

I know that Ryan has worked incredibly hard in order to get to that stage we saw him on last night. But I also know he wouldn’t have made it there without the support and strength provided by the people waiting for him in that backstage room jumping up and down, clapping and crying, cheering him on. I know that the joy they felt in that moment was made all the more sweet because there have been many times when things didn’t go so well, and instead of celebrating, their job was to console.

Now, because this is my blog and because I am still in the process of plugging a book, I will now direct this post back to me. Please know that I am not so self-aware that I don’t recognize how me-centric I appear. Anyway, I was so happy for Ryan Innes to be able to achieve a little more of his overall dream last night. It was interesting for me to watch because it also caused me to reflect.

Earlier that day, Shannon and I had traveled down to Mesa and during the course of the conversation, we began talking about the number of people we know who are trying to get a book published. And my wife made the comment, “Do you realize how lucky you are?”

The truth is, I do. However, I probably don’t realize it enough. Because it’s true, I am extremely lucky. And even on days where I stress out because I have no idea what else I can do to spread the word and generate interest in my book, I need to remember how truly fortunate I am. I am living my dream. And like most dreams, it hasn’t come easy, but because of the support of my wife, my family and some very dear friends, I was able to be in a position to be lucky.

So to the entire Innes family, I want to express my deepest congratulations.  Last night was awesome. Ryan was awesome. And regardless of what happens next, Ryan Innes killed it in front of millions of people on network television. No one can ever take that away. To my friend, Brad Hull, I again extend my congrats on the milestones he and his fellow Due Westers continue to achieve. If they never find themselves headlining at major arenas around the country and world, they still have sung on the stage of the Grand Ol’ Opry. That is their moment that belongs to them and no one else.

And to myself? You, Mr. Rapier, are one lucky bastage who probably doesn’t deserve this opportunity you’re receiving. But even if the book flops and it is the only one you ever publish, you need to remember that moment on December 21st, 2012, when the e-mail from Cedar Fort publishing hit your in-box. It’s the stuff dreams are made of. And remember that you’re lucky, because dreams don’t just happen for everybody.

Ryan Innes can be seen on THE VOICE, Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC.

THE RELUCTANT BLOGGER drops August 13, 2013. It is currently available for pre-order at Bookworms Bookstore and from Amazon.com. Please visit Ryan Rapier’s author page on Facebook at facebook.com\ryanrapierauthor and like us if you like.