on december 9, 2006 i saw one of the greatest concert performances of my life. in fact, i’ve been thinking about it all week and i have to say it was number two: right behind pink floyd, of course….

the day started, honestly, shortly after i woke up from a previous night’s birthday celebration. after a quick jaunt to the airport, i met up with liann, kevin, kellee, and another friend of theirs (who’s name, i’m embarassed to say, i have forgotten). we left the house with a cooler full of goodies (beer which we weren’t allowed to drink) and headed out to meet friends of kevin who were also concert goers that day. we spent a few hours ‘tail-gating,’ which is slang for hanging out in a partking lot, before meeting 45,000 others at aloha statium for the show.

our tickets had been purchased way back in february or march for the show (which was originally scheduled for april). i had gotten a ticket sitting in the stands with some of kevin’s friends, which the rest were going to be one the field. to be honest, i wasn’t particularly thrilled with that arrangement, but i have to say i was just glad to have a ticket.

so, we arrived at aloha stadium and kellee, kevin’s sister (who is both cool and cute) decided it was her mission to get me on to the field with the rest of them. i admit i had my doubts about my chances, but the stars were aligned, or something, because it all worked out remarkably well. kellee told one of the security guards that i was her fiance and that i had proposed to her while one was playing. i don’t honestly think he bought it (if for no other reason than i’m a terrible liar and he could see it in my face, even though tried to play along). at that time there just happened to be a woman standing there, chatting with one of the ushers, who overheard our ‘story.’ she bought it because she GAVE me a spare field ticket she happened to have. from then on, i knew it was going to be an unforgettable night.

and it was. i was with some of my closest friends watching this increadible show…. now, i have to admit that i’m not the biggest u2 fan (unlike kevin and his friend, who’s name i still can’t remember), but to say the show was impressive would be a gross understatement. they played all the songs i knew and were great performers, especially bono (though i wasn’t surprised by that). what i think really made the show for me was the political statment they made continuously throughout the show. there were such strong social justice and moral undertones to the entire show that, at one point, they displayed on the HUGE screen part of the universal declaration of human rights! who the fuck does that? do you know of another musical group as big as u2 who would have the balls to make such a presumption at one of their shows? i certainly don’t. it quite honestly made the show for me (i almost cried).

and pearl jam opened. they put on a good show, but i have to say they paled in comparison and as such have little to say about their performance.

after the show, we went for pancakes at wailana, but there was a huge line! and it was full of u2 concertgoers, grr! as hungry as we were, we decided against waiting our turn and opted for zippy’s, which turned out to be just fine and certainly hit the spot….

all in all a fantastic day and marvelous show. i feel this post doesn’t quite do it justice (on many levels for many reasons), but i’m just not quite sure how to put the experience into words. aside from the experience itself, here are the momentos i have:

and this wristband. you should get one.

since last weekend, i’ve had a question in my brain (ok maybe a few questions) for which i haven’t been able to find answers.  yes, it’s a bit frustrating and so far the friends i’ve asked have been of little help.  in no particular order:

1. what is it about this girl that i find so intriguing?
2. should i really be spinning my wheels this much?  (probably not)
3. should i solicit the help of mutual friends and what might be the consequences if i do?
4. how immature would it be of me to do so?
5. should i just let it go?

ok, so i’m a bit odd.  i freely admit that.  when normal people were learning how to deal with these types of issues, i was busy dealing with a whole list of my own personal issues and demons, so i’m maybe just a bit behind the learning curve.  not much i can do about it now, but be who i am and who i am is asking these potentially silly questions….

of course, i have no preoccupation about the job interview i have on monday, no preoccupation with a potential change in career.  i’m not even a bit nervous about interviewing for a job for which i have no previous experience.  a new job and career aren’t the things that are spinning in my brain at nearly every free moment.  how strange is that?  honestly, you can tell me.  i can take it.

oh well, tomorrow is yet another day.  it’ll be a good day and now it’s almost bed time….

so, since i’ve pretty much decided that i have no readership to speak of….

while grocery shopping this evening i ran into the girl for whom i have a bit of a ‘thing’.  being caught totally off guard and by surprise, i’m pretty sure i acted like somewhat of a dufus: awkward and overly excited.  i could be wrong, but i’m pretty sure that’s not the way i’m going to cultivate in her any interest in me.  if she didn’t think i was a bit goofy before, there’s a good chance she thinks so now.

yea me!

yesterday was, for all intents and purposes, pretty standard. it was the type of day that has become pretty standard for me, and yet it turned out to be quite unique. for me, who used to pretty much curse life, it’s an odd thing when i quite happily and easily can find something good (if not remarkable) in just about every single day. and yesterday was no exception.

after an organizational meeting for a somewhat new community outreach/political/party building group that turned out to be less than productive, i had plans to meet some new, very cool friends for drinks. the meeting, to my surprise, ended much earlier than i had expected and rather than make the trek (5 mile drive) back home, i went straight to the rendezvous point to start the beer drinking early and maybe get some extra work done.

while looking for a table outside, my eyes landed on a familiar face, one i hadn’t seen in quite some time.  we sat and chatted for a while (she ws nice enough to hang out while i waited for my other friends).  we had a nice conversation and it was good to see her, but she said something that really startled me.  in a good way.

at one point, she commented at how different i seemed.  she said that i seemed more confident and comfortable with myself.  now these are things i had seen in myself previously (or at least thought i did).  i can’t tell you how great it makes me feel to know that people actully notice that change in me.  very few (maybe one) of my friends has made that comment to me, though i guess that fact that i see and talk to them everyday might make it hard for them to notice.  it’s kinda like looking at someone everday and not noticing them getting older.  sure you can tell if you look at an old picture, but from day to day, one usually doesn’t pick up on these things.  needless to say, her observation completely made my night.

there is no doubt in my mind that i am a different person than i was a year ago.

and there are other things.  in the last week, i’ve received to other very nice and, to be honest, very surprising compliments.  i guess even though i see these changes in me and am thrilled by them, i’m still surprised when other people pick up on them.  i still take compliments like a blushing school boy; ‘awe shucks.’

there are still things that i need to work on and still see room for improvement, but i no longer fixate on these things.  and of course it’d be nice to find a girl of interest, who is actually interested in me, but such is life.  and tomorrow is another day….