Part 1 Last week I went to a concert with my parents and my husband. We saw Crosby Stills & Nash. And it was awesome. It took me half an hour to figure out which one was Stills and which was Nash, but it was still awesome. My husband and I were definitely in the minority, most of the audience was over the age of fifty. But they sure knew how to have a good time!
The woman sitting directly in front of me was having an especially good time. Every time the band played one of her favorite songs, she would jump up from her seat and dance in place. Sometimes other people around us were standing up, clapping and dancing, but often she was the only one on her feet. But she didn’t care. She didn’t care that she was the only one in our section dancing, or even standing up. She was celebrating this moment, this song, this experience.
Of course her celebration was basically blocking my view. Since her seat was right in front of mine, whenever she got up to dance, I could only see a third of CSN. At one point my husband looked over and gave me a sad faced kind of grimace, apologizing that I couldn’t see. But truthfully, I didn’t care. This woman was so darn happy; it made me happy just to be around her. She was getting such joy from the music and the performance; I couldn’t help but be affected by it. Whenever she would get up and dance, I couldn’t stop smiling.
This woman was probably older than my mom, and all I could think was, I want to be that happy, that excited, that rocking in thirty years. I want to be the kind of grown-up that celebrates life and grabs onto joy whenever its around. I want to rejoice in those pure blissful moments. I want to stand up at a concert and sing and dance and clap along with the band. I want all those whippersnappers to look at me in awe and say ‘that is one groovy old lady’.
But nothing happens overnight right? I can’t expect to wake up at 60 with all the answers and a convenient pair of rose tinted glasses on the nightstand. So I’m starting now, today; I’m making new habits. First, I’m going to dance more; just put on a record in the middle of the afternoon and boogie in my living room. Second, I’m going to make a conscious effort to recognize the joy in my life. To be in the moment and appreciate the bliss that finds me every day. I'm going to celebrate my life.
And in thirty years, I’m going to rock that concert.