This whole concept of the relationship between David (or any public figure) and his fans is an interesting one. On the one hand, we have fans who are afraid of seeming stalkerish and thus go to great pains to emphasize that they realize they don't know David. On the other hand, we have the fans who say they feel some kind of spiritual connection with him. So are the touchy-feely ones being delusional, while the disavowers are the hard-headed realists who see the truth?

I think the truth, such as it is, lies somewhere in between, and I think David himself feels that way. He has said in interviews that Declaration was written for his fans. In that song, as everyone well knows and has commented, he says "I feel you closer than you are". I think he's recognizing the same dichotomy that we deal with. We know him, and yet we don't. He knows us, and yet he doesn't.

It seems to me we just have to recognize a different type of "relationship", one which is much more possible in this cyber age than it was in the past when fans really were much more remote. If he cares to come to the forum and read my blogs and posts, he can know me (and others of course). And as I have listened to his interviews and read reports of personal encounters over months and now going into a second year, I can know him. Not the same way that I know my "real-life" circle, not the way he knows his RL circle, but we do know each other in a different way. If we can accept that kind of knowing without thinking we are his best buds, then yes, there is a relationship!

In his recent radio interview (2/3/09), David talked about not having time for a girlfriend because right now at this moment, his music is his girlfriend. So for David, right now in his life his fans are of paramount importance to him, because without us, he really can't do what he's doing. He'd be working at a day job and trying to work a few local gigs in on the weekends, like so many unknown local musicians (of which I have some in my own RL circle).

As Simon would say, this is just an opinion. But I don't think we should sell ourselves short that we have no relationship with David. It's not an all or nothing thing, either BFF or zilch.