09-04-13

There is a change in lighting and the in-between-set music slowly fades until you're left with nothing but a quiet, hesitant room full of strangers.  And anticipation.  A substantial amount of that.

As soon as the act of the hour begins their set, they arrive.  Right on time.  And by they, I mean the people who think it's perfectly okay to squeeze right in front of you in blatant violation of the unwritten rules of concert culture, and put their drinks down on the stage that has a sign which clearly states, "NO DRINKS ON STAGE." 

I'm beside myself. 

They whisper.  As if whispering is any less distracting than just jumping on the stage and rubbing their tongues all over the instruments.  They wiggle around.  There is no end in sight to all of the whispering and the wiggling.  And they never sing a single word at all, ever, to any of these songs that have saved you in the past.

Some people might simply label this as annoying.  I would take it further.  I call it irreverence.  Because I'm dramatic like that and had been looking forward to this concert for my whole entire life.  Or maybe just a few years, but come on.

Towards the end of the set, which mostly consisted of me leaning to the opposite side of the tall wiggly whisperers directly in front of me and flashing angry eyes at Drew as he mouthed, "CALM DOWN", someone to my left gets my attention.  They have their friends clear a space right at the front of the crowd, and motion for me to move up there.  I'm hesitant, tell them I'm too tall.

This person, this glorious stranger insists. "You know every word."

And I was beside myself again, but in a much better way.

Organized Sports and Growing Up

I don't enjoy football.  Obviously it's okay that other people do.  But I really dislike it.  I don't like the noise.  I don't like that there is no way of knowing how long it will or won't last.  I don't like how people get so worked up over it when it has no consequence or effect on their life.  I don't enjoy it when people post things on social networks about how they don't like fans of certain teams because being a fan of that team makes you a terrible person.  I don't like that people who are fans of certain teams refer to that team as, "we."  (Example: "we did pretty well this time around but we really need to work on our defense.  Really?)  I don't appreciate the fact that the money spent on football could most likely solve world hunger.

Wanna know what I pay attention to if I ever find myself in the situation of watching football?

The pep band.  And BYU's sounds great.
Anyway,

Here are some things I've learned from being a grown-up thus far:

-I don't think I'll ever actually feel grown up.

-You cannot go with the cheap brand as far as lotion, saran wrap, tin foil and garbage bags go.

-As it turns out, on your hands and knees, with a rag and a bucket of hot soapy Dawn water is really the ONLY way to properly clean a floor.

- Life seems to have much more value when you're regularly talking to your parents, instead of getting caught up in "too busy" to give them a call.

-Once you have your own place, decorations and furniture suddenly...matter.  In an astounding way.

-Being married to a man who would do anything for you is really the only way to do marriage.

-Speak kindly.  The way you say something matters just as much, if not more, than what's actually being said.

-If you want to do something with your hair, but don't think you can pull it off - DO IT ANYWAY.  I'm serious.  In the words of Regina Spektor, "it always grows back; hair grows even after you're dead."

 Have a happy.  The weekend isn't quite over yet!