Not that long ago, I was able to take my younger daughter to a One Direction concert. It was a defining moment for her…one of those days that she’ll never forget. It was an evening that she looked forward to from the moment she knew she was going to attend. She quickly informed me of the “outfit” she *had* to have to attend such a concert…her clothing an homage to her favorite band. This involved me ordering items from websites I’d never heard of before, but who e-mail me daily with specials on unique, screened T’s.
A few months later, I had the opportunity to attend a Rod Stewart concert. At first I thought of taking my younger daughter, but when she drew a blank on his name, I changed my mind. I could have played his music for her so she could recognize that she did, actually, know some of his music, but I preferred to take someone who would get the same flash-back experience as I knew I would have.
My girlfriend and I headed out on Saturday and arrived early. She had attended the One Direction concert with her nieces. Although we hadn’t been together, we’d experienced it in tandem. The first thing we noticed was that the traffic was much lighter. When we got inside, we wondered if the venue was even going to fill up. Things were decidedly quiet and low-key.
We observed the quiet, meager crowd. The mean age of the audience was roughly 60…compared to the mean age at the One Direction concert which was roughly 13…and that includes the many moms and dads chaperoning the wee ones. At exactly 7:30, Steve Winwood started things off. When I think of Steve Winwood, I think jazz…and he didn’t disappoint. I googled him and learned that he wrote Gimme Some Lovin’ when he was only 18. He brought the house down singing it as an encore. The entire place, by this time with all seats filled, stood up and gave him a standing ovation.
After a brief intermission, Rod Stewart entered the stage and wowed us for two hours. I flashed back to high school and even middle-school. Song after song, I smiled and felt, well, perhaps something akin to what my daughter felt when she listened to the One Direction concert. No, that’s not right. If I remember my early teens correctly, her experience was all about dreaming about the future, dreaming of knights in shining armor. For me, it was about reminiscing about the past, and finding the shining knight inside myself.
In the end, my night wasn’t about dreaming about spending time with celebrities, it was about reveling in happy memories. I love where I am in life, with so many happy memories and so much to look forward to. If I’d seen Rod when he was 38 instead of 68 and I was 19 instead of 49, would I have loved it more? Would I still be thinking about it now?
Find the Joy in the Journey…enjoy every moment that you can!
Laura's Adventures After 50! 