Sir Paul

It's been 2 weeks since I had the absolute blessing of seeing Paul McCartney at Fenway Park. I feel like that is enough time to be far enough removed that I won't sound like a blubbering idiot. And frankly, if you are going to read this and sit in judgment of me or don't understand how a concert could move someone then there's a little red X at the top of the page you can click. I know for sure there is at least one person on my friends list that was there and gets it.

Let me back up, oh 36 years...my parents were very young when they married and had me. Like most people in their 20's-music was a big deal. The Beatles, to them were a huge deal. They loved music, they still do. My Dad especially, loves music. Because of this, music has always been an easy way to communicate. Every important person in my life has a song that reminds me of them. Most songs that I listen to have a memory or story attached to them. Music makes me laugh and cry, comforts me and give me a kick in the ass when needed. I work at a performing arts college for crying out loud, I have even figured out how to make music part of my daily life.

Some of my clearest memories of childhood involve music, specifically the Beatles. I remember my brother and I sitting on my aunt's bed and listening to Octopus' Garden and Yellow Submarine thinking they were the best songs ever. I remember learning the whole story behind the cover of St. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (I cannot remember if it was my Mom, aunt or cousin that told me about Paul's flaming car falling off the cliff, but I remember it was a female). The first memory I have of my Dad crying was the day John Lennon was killed. To this day I "remember" on December 8th. Anyone that knows me knows that you cannot convince me that anyone contributed more to music than the Beatles and don't get me started on the contribution that would've been made if John were still around.

Fast Forward a few decades...a co-worker says: "hey, my cousin can get tickets to the McCartney show, would you be interested?" Now I have been to my fair share of shows and I decided a few years ago that I would only go to a concert if I hadn't already seen them and usually I would ask how much the tickets are. I didn't even care. "Yes" was the only word that came out of my mouth. My parents were at my place that weekend, so of course I shared my exciting news: "I'M GOING TO SEE SIR PAUL. LIVE!" Mom didn't really get the big deal (Mom, you're getting old!) but Dad totally got it and it reminded me of how quickly he and I can connect around music and how much he softens when there is any connection, or if he knows I'm excited/happy about something. Of course I instantly felt guilty that I didn't think to also ask if I could get a ticket for him. (There was an added complication here that the last show I attended at Fenway was The Rolling Stones, the weekend of my grandfather's funeral. My parents were originally going to go with me; so being at Fenway for a show is slightly bittersweet~although my grandfather would think I was being silly, I'm sure)

Now, I'll be honest...I have often struggled with not being able to stay in the moment and appreciate what is right in front of me. Example, standing at the Grand Canyon and saying "really? this is it?" I have been working on being more mindful and staying in the moment, but it can be a struggle.

He played off of the same set list that he has been performing forever, I didn't care. I did not, for one second, not appreciate or stay in the moment while I watched Macca perform for 2.5+ hours. The smile never left my face, and I was slightly weepy the entire time. I am slightly weepy now. I felt joy, I felt silly, I felt sad at times (John and George are no longer here, my parents were never able to see them, I wasn't able to experience it with the people from my childhood that influenced my music so much). Most of all, I felt blessed. My heart was full. I still don't think I can really put into words what it meant to me. Really it was as much about my life as it was about enjoying the Beatles and Paul. And maybe it won't make sense to a lot of people, but it makes complete sense to me and it's an experience that I will never forget or take for granted.

Like I said that night in my FB status: I have seen Sir Paul perform "Let it Be" live, I can die now.