New Year With Friends

So ... sometimes rhymes just pop into my head ... almost always they have a Seuss-like cadence to them.  Or maybe it's Hallmarkish?

For those for whom I had addresses, I sent this in a card.  But I wanted to share it with all my new friends ... Happy new year; I'm so glad we've met.  You all know who you are.  And if this expresses a sentiment you can identify with and we've not yet connected, I hope we do some day.  Soon.

On Making New Friends

The year comes to a close,

I don’t want it to end.

So many memories,

So many friends.

We’ve loved all the music

From Cape Cod to Cali

And points in between;

Too many to tally.

It’s Gavin we know

Who brings us together

In long lines and front rows

In all kinds of weather.

I treasure you all

And the times that we’ve had

Whether in person, on twitter

On facebook, IG just a tad.

I wish you health and happiness

In the year just ahead.

I wish us all music,

I wish our souls fed.

I thank Gavin DeGraw,

His band and his crew.

I’m forever grateful;

Through him, I’ve met you.

Dear Young Ladies ... or, Katherine's First Ever (and hopefully last ever) Rant

Dear Young Ladies,

Hello concert-going girls, you young ones who were dropped off by parents who didn't care enough to come with you even if they hung out in the balcony, who trusted you to represent your families in the manner in which you had been raised, who didn't realize that you could be so rude and disrespectful.

Yes, I'm writing this to you.  You know who you are.

I'm thinking we might need to review the rules for General Admission shows:

1.  Pushing is never acceptable.  If you want to be in the front row, get there early.  Really early.  Slamming the people in front of you into the stage/barricades/speakers/whatever is kind of the same as assault.

2.  Breathing on someone's neck is just plain creepy.  And disgusting.

3.  Reading someone's cellphone over their shoulder is the same as stalking.  Stalking is illegal.

4.  Continually shoving your arms and phones/cameras into the faces of the people in front of you ruins their experience.  They stood in line just like you--but longer.  That's how they attained the front row.  Do you see how that works?

5.  Screeching is not the same as singing.  We all like to sing along.  We all do sing along.  But when you are simply yelling lyrics at the top of your lungs while barely attempting to find the tune or the rhythm, it ceases to become a musical experience and you are just making noise.  Make noise at a Bieber concert.

6.  How does screaming at the artist enhance your experience?  Did you not come to hear the artist sing?  Obviously you respect the artist enough to have bought a ticket so it appears as though you're interested in the music.  Oh wait, your parents bought your ticket so you have no actual investment in the experience.  My bad.  I'm sorry you missed much of what was truly great about the music while your deafening high pitched machinations to get the artist's attention went unnoticed by the artist as that person was engaged in doing what she or he does best.

7.  Dancing at a concert is fun.  Gyrating against the people in front of you is nasty.  And disgusting.

8. Having loud conversations during the opening acts, including unkind remarks, is mean-spirited.  Those folks are just starting out often; they're working hard to get your attention.  It wouldn't kill you to be a little more attentive.  You don't have to go and buy their records or download their songs if you don't want to.  But think about how discouraging it must be for them to watch you dissing them while they're trying their best.  Is that how you'd like to be treated?  If you'd rather talk than listen, take it to the lounge or the bar.

I sincerely hope you understand the rules better now.  Basically, we're talking about common courtesy here.  Both for your fellow concert-goers and the band that is performing.  It's really not too much to ask--that you enjoy what you came for while allowing others to do so too.  It's not a solo experience, you see.  You can have that with your iPod in your room at home.  Selfishly thinking that you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, isn't how society works best.  Considering what works best for the group that you find yourself in, makes life run a lot smoother.  When you can share experiences in common with other people, mutually enjoying the moment at hand, helping to enhance one another's good time--that's how awesome memories are made.  I feel sorry that you don't understand this.  You'll always have an incomplete experience until you do.

Sincerely,

One Who Wishes You'd Grow Up

(and I'm sure you will ... I'm positive you'll turn out to be awesome young adults who will look back on  your current behavior with embarrassment.  But it will be a life lesson learned ... one you can pass on to your own kids.)

~~~~~~~

Okay.  This is totally uncharacteristic for me.  But I decided to put it out there so I can let it go.  Off my soapbox now but totally cognizant of the fact that I'm bound to run in to these girls again or rather, girls just like them.  I wonder when "good of the order" and politeness went out the window.  

Or has it always been this way?  Am I just intolerant? Should I have to tolerate that behavior? I can recall those old newsreels of girls screaming when the Beatles landed in New York, how they played but no one could hear a note.  Even when I was a kid, I wondered about that.  Wouldn't you have wanted to actually hear them if you were lucky enough to have had that chance? 

Sending questions to the cosmos ... with no expectations.

Concert Diaries Chapter Fourteen ~ Financing the Obsession

Tyler Hilton, January 2013

I have a problem.  I have this new hobby and it's not cheap.  Even the free concerts aren't cheap ... they're never in my backyard so usually travel is involved.  Hotels in big cities, train tickets or tanks of gas ... it's all starting to add up.  Actually, it's past adding up.  I'm now scrounging to make my adventures happen.

And scrounge I will because it's an obsessions and an addiction.  Maybe if I'd done more live music before now, "middle-agedness", this need wouldn't feel so great but I didn't and it is.  I can't explain the feeling that comes over me hearing someone that I admire a lot perform in person.  It invigorates me for days.  Really and truly.

So ... how to fund the new "hobby?"

Well, for starters I took on an extra duty at work.  In the world of education (at least around here), they're called stipend positions (coaches, advisors, etc.), extra work done after work, in addition to your regular job description.  I'm our district's new web master.  It's a decent stipend and I actually enjoy the work ... it's another creative outlet for me and I love the challenge of improving communication.  It should be pointed out, however, that I am, by no means, a master at this yet.  But I'm learning a lot every day and a day when we learn something is always a good day.  And that's one nice chunk of change for the concert jar.

One of the best and most upscale consignment stores in Northern New Jersey is right in my town.  Today I had an appointment for my first batch of clothes to consign.  They only take 20 pieces at a time so I already have a second appointment in a couple of weeks.  I have lots of professional clothes in sizes I can no longer wear (thankfully).  And I'll confess it here ... I'm selling clothes that are 2X, size 20 and 22.  I looked at the pile of them last night and could not believe that a year and a half ago, I was wearing them.  Thank goodness I'm healthy now.  And even though I've given away most of that wardrobe, I'm glad to have the opportunity to sell some and contribute to the concert jar.  And since I'm continuing to lose, there should be a few more drop-offs at the shop.

I'm thinking of ebaying.  Is that a word?  Can it be a verb?  I'm making it so.  I've been thinking of ebaying a variety of "stuff" that's hanging around the house.  Knick knacks that I've acquired while closing up my aunts' homes, duplicates and edits from the antique Girl Scout stuff collection, zillions of books.  It's all that little "stuff" that accumulates and you hang on to for really no good reason.  I shop a lot on ebay but I've never sold.  I'm not sure about doing it because I know it's a commitment.  Proper and timely shipping of sold "stuff" might prove difficult for me.  Work has been relentless lately and there are many, many days when getting to the post office would be a complete impossibility.  Although I could use those flat rate boxes ... hmmmm ... maybe I could do this.  It's worth investigating.

That's the plan for now ... it's not a lot but hopefully it will be enough.

Because there are other adventures planned.  One of them takes place tomorrow ...

~

Restyle Renew ~ consignments