I Went To A Concert Alone... And Learned Alot!
"Life moves pretty fast; If you don't stop and look around, you might miss it."
...my high school yearbook quote taken from one of my top 5 favourite movies, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but also very strong words to live by, especially for the last 24 hrs I've had (as of the time I am writing this).
Let's just cut to the chase. Yesterday, I had one of the best days of my life. I steps out my comfort zone like I'd never done and attended a concert by myself. I've been a fan of the artists, Aly & AJ, since childhood, with their Disney Channel career, and still to this day with the release of their new music (you won't regret checking it out). Since I couldn't find anyone to go with me, and not wanting to loose the opportunity to see them, I said "fuck it. I guess I'm going alone!".
I'll go into detail about the show itself later, but on the ride home, my dad, who picked me up from the show, told me that our family friend had passed away the day before. She hadn't been doing well over the weekend, and just like that during the night, she stopped breathing. Nothing could have been done. She was in her late 90s, and in hindsight, it was probably her time.
So while having had one of the best nights of my life, and experiencing life in a whole new way, a life was taken from us just like that. The juxtaposition is eerie, which left me with alot of thoughts I'd like to share.
The Show
Time and time again, people tell you to live in the moment, but when you're actually in that moment it's much harder to stop from letting your thoughts wander. Often people find themselves even watching the whole show behind their screens, watching the show through a lens, recording it all.
I was mindful not to be one of those people.
I also didn't allow my thoughts about having to go to work the next day, or the people pushing and shoving from all angles, to cloud the experience. I also made the effort to pull out my phone only for a couple seconds to grab a picture, or a short video, then put it away. It was just me and those girls on stage. At one point, I was so immersed in the show (and standing so close to the stage) that I made eye contact with Aly while signing back the lyrics to her. In that moment, as cheesy as it sounds, I felt like the third Michalka sister.
The night felt like I was living the childhood dreams I never knew I'd long wished for. Check out my Instagram for videos and pictures!!
Not only was it the first concert I attend alone, but this was also the first time I'd been to a show in a small concert venue. The atmosphere, and dare I say it, the "vibes", where even more vibrant and energetic. Nobody cared about being judged by the people around them, nor did they care about what others were doing to enjoy the show, so neither did I. I sang my heart out to every single song, old and new because I'm just that much of a fan. Saying I had fun would definitely be an understatement.
Going to a concert alone was something I set out for myself to do this year. I know for most of you that sounds incredibly daunting and weird, but let me tell you first hand that alot of really amazing things happen when it's just you, and the music. I believe there is something really special about an experience only you, and none of your friends, have done. None of my friends went to this concert so it's almost as if, to my entire circle of friends, it never actually happened. The saying goes "If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, did it really fall or was it always on the ground?". It goes like something along those lines, but you get it...
Not to get too philosophical, but I hope you get the point. It's an event I can cherish forever that I don't share with anyone else I know. And that's pretty special. It's no secret that you never forget your "firsts" either. Your first girlfriend/boyfriend, first kiss, first "adult beverage", first car. So I can tell you right now, I'll never forget the first concert I went to on my own.
Just to prove my point even more, let me list out the reasons why experiencing a show/concert alone is the best way to do it.
The Reasons
1. You don't have to mend to the needs of the person you are with. Don't have to save anyone's seat when they go to the bathroom, don't have to stand in a long merch line if you don't want to. You can even show up whenever you want without waiting outside the venue for your friend to be ready or show up.
2. It's much easier to talk to new people and meet people because it's much less intimidating for others to approach you if you are alone as opposed to if you were with a friend. Plus you're already surrounded by people with a similar interest in common so it's a great place to meet potential new friends.
3. You also get to watch the show from wherever you want. Like in my case where the venue was General Admission, I picked a spot where I could see the whole stage and didn't have to worry about whether my friend could see everything just as well as I could. Same goes for arenas, if you're only buying a ticket for yourself, you can spend as much as you want to sit where you want without the guilt of making your friend pay for a ticket more expensive than they would want.
The fact is, going to a concert alone brings so much more freedom to the entire experience.
Moreover, I believe that the strength and bravery to do something like this, which is out of the norm by the standards of society, will be reflected in my character and personal growth. I think it's safe to say I'll be doing it again very soon, because I already have some shows in mind...
The Reality
While all was literally sunshine and rainbows that night, when I was hit with the news from my father, it put everything, and I really mean everything, into perspective.
Here is a 95 year old woman who has lived an incredibly long life. She took care of herself in every matter of the way her entire life. She had amazing friends who supported her through thick and thin, and she made amazing memories for those she allowed into her life. Her cottage up at Paint Lake was the staple of the summer for my dad growing up. He'd go every summer for a couple weeks with his brothers (my uncles), and mom (my grandmother) and they had the best time. As the years went on the cottage was used less and less, when I was growing up my dad and I would visit once a year for a couple hours to pick up my grandmother and drive her back after she'd spent a couple weeks with my aunt at the cottage. Eventually my aunt would reach the age where she couldn't drive anymore, lost her licence, had to sell the cottage and was cared for daily in a retirement home until the day she passed.
Here she was, closing the Encyclopedia-sized book, and last chapter of her life, while I was writing a whole new chapter to mine. Life is crazy in that way. Most of us, live life to the fullest every single day, but what's the point if one day our life, and our experiences, disappear into thin air. Our heart stops beating and our own memories are worthless. If you think that's the case than you need a reality check...
The Lesson
My aunt's life, along with mine after death, carries on forever if we live it right. Life is a fucking Rube Goldberg machine. Everything we do, no matter how small, affects the people and things around us. If we are kind to others, they will be kind, if we take the time to teach others, they will share that knowledge with others as well.
By doing our part today, we impact the generations after us, at least that's what I believe.
Having my aunt in my life changed who I am today. The experiences I had driving to her cottage once a year were unforgettable. It allowed me to understand what it means to own a cottage, and planted the seed in my head to potentially have one for my kids in the future. I know how much fun my dad had when he visited as a kid, and even in the couple hours I was there as a kid I had the best time. Her cottage has influenced my life and will shape the way I chose to live in the future, which will subsequently impact the people in my life.
Life and Death should not be seen as two extremes because they are, to their core, the same. Both make us sad for recognizing that a chapter is ending, but simultaneously, they bring us joy when we put everything into perspective and appreciate what we have right now.
The Future
I have so much in life to look forward to, and I will continue to push myself our of my comfort zone when I can. This concert was not only one of the best I've ever attended, from a performance perspective, but it also the best learning experience. I learned that I have the capacity to be independent in a completely new way.
My ultimate goal one day is to shed the fear of going on vacation alone. I already know I don't have many people in my life who either could afford, or could make time, to come with me to the places I want to go. I've accepted that because it's no surprise that nobody has the same goals as I do. So with that being said, I know there will come a time in my life where I will be ready, in all aspects of the term, to go to Spain, or Italy, or France, or the UK and I won't find anyone to come with me. When that day comes, as long as I am brave enough to make the leap, I will do it alone, mark my words.
It will not be this year, but it may be next year, or the year after that. Either way, I am making this promise to myself that I will do it. I know there is so much to learn and such an opportunity to grow as a person if I push myself to do it.
The Advice
If there is something you've been wanting to do for a while, but you couldn't find a friend, or family member to do it with, than stop waiting and just do it. Don't let your life and decisions ride on another person's decisions. Be in control of your own life and do what you want, when you want. We are individuals going through life who on occasions need to band together to make a team. If you allow yourself to constantly hinge your life with someone else, you'll never know the limits of what you are capable of doing on your own.
Continue to surround yourself with people who care about you, but remember that you are the only one living your life. So make it count and impact the next generation however you can. But remember, before you can help anyone, you have to help yourself first.
Do what makes you happy, are the easiest words to live by if you stop caring about what other people think. I went to that concert because that's what I wanted, and I didn't let other people's judgments, about attending a concert alone, hinder me from doing what was going to make me happy. There is nothing worst than regret, so don't allow that to be you when you are 70,80,90 years old.
You'll never regret doing something that, in the moment, made your heart flutter and your smile shine.
I promise.
-Marie
...my high school yearbook quote taken from one of my top 5 favourite movies, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, but also very strong words to live by, especially for the last 24 hrs I've had (as of the time I am writing this).
Let's just cut to the chase. Yesterday, I had one of the best days of my life. I steps out my comfort zone like I'd never done and attended a concert by myself. I've been a fan of the artists, Aly & AJ, since childhood, with their Disney Channel career, and still to this day with the release of their new music (you won't regret checking it out). Since I couldn't find anyone to go with me, and not wanting to loose the opportunity to see them, I said "fuck it. I guess I'm going alone!".
I'll go into detail about the show itself later, but on the ride home, my dad, who picked me up from the show, told me that our family friend had passed away the day before. She hadn't been doing well over the weekend, and just like that during the night, she stopped breathing. Nothing could have been done. She was in her late 90s, and in hindsight, it was probably her time.
So while having had one of the best nights of my life, and experiencing life in a whole new way, a life was taken from us just like that. The juxtaposition is eerie, which left me with alot of thoughts I'd like to share.
The Show
Time and time again, people tell you to live in the moment, but when you're actually in that moment it's much harder to stop from letting your thoughts wander. Often people find themselves even watching the whole show behind their screens, watching the show through a lens, recording it all.
I was mindful not to be one of those people.
I also didn't allow my thoughts about having to go to work the next day, or the people pushing and shoving from all angles, to cloud the experience. I also made the effort to pull out my phone only for a couple seconds to grab a picture, or a short video, then put it away. It was just me and those girls on stage. At one point, I was so immersed in the show (and standing so close to the stage) that I made eye contact with Aly while signing back the lyrics to her. In that moment, as cheesy as it sounds, I felt like the third Michalka sister.
The night felt like I was living the childhood dreams I never knew I'd long wished for. Check out my Instagram for videos and pictures!!
Not only was it the first concert I attend alone, but this was also the first time I'd been to a show in a small concert venue. The atmosphere, and dare I say it, the "vibes", where even more vibrant and energetic. Nobody cared about being judged by the people around them, nor did they care about what others were doing to enjoy the show, so neither did I. I sang my heart out to every single song, old and new because I'm just that much of a fan. Saying I had fun would definitely be an understatement.
Going to a concert alone was something I set out for myself to do this year. I know for most of you that sounds incredibly daunting and weird, but let me tell you first hand that alot of really amazing things happen when it's just you, and the music. I believe there is something really special about an experience only you, and none of your friends, have done. None of my friends went to this concert so it's almost as if, to my entire circle of friends, it never actually happened. The saying goes "If a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, did it really fall or was it always on the ground?". It goes like something along those lines, but you get it...
Not to get too philosophical, but I hope you get the point. It's an event I can cherish forever that I don't share with anyone else I know. And that's pretty special. It's no secret that you never forget your "firsts" either. Your first girlfriend/boyfriend, first kiss, first "adult beverage", first car. So I can tell you right now, I'll never forget the first concert I went to on my own.
Just to prove my point even more, let me list out the reasons why experiencing a show/concert alone is the best way to do it.
The Reasons
1. You don't have to mend to the needs of the person you are with. Don't have to save anyone's seat when they go to the bathroom, don't have to stand in a long merch line if you don't want to. You can even show up whenever you want without waiting outside the venue for your friend to be ready or show up.
2. It's much easier to talk to new people and meet people because it's much less intimidating for others to approach you if you are alone as opposed to if you were with a friend. Plus you're already surrounded by people with a similar interest in common so it's a great place to meet potential new friends.
3. You also get to watch the show from wherever you want. Like in my case where the venue was General Admission, I picked a spot where I could see the whole stage and didn't have to worry about whether my friend could see everything just as well as I could. Same goes for arenas, if you're only buying a ticket for yourself, you can spend as much as you want to sit where you want without the guilt of making your friend pay for a ticket more expensive than they would want.
The fact is, going to a concert alone brings so much more freedom to the entire experience.
Moreover, I believe that the strength and bravery to do something like this, which is out of the norm by the standards of society, will be reflected in my character and personal growth. I think it's safe to say I'll be doing it again very soon, because I already have some shows in mind...
The Reality
While all was literally sunshine and rainbows that night, when I was hit with the news from my father, it put everything, and I really mean everything, into perspective.
Here is a 95 year old woman who has lived an incredibly long life. She took care of herself in every matter of the way her entire life. She had amazing friends who supported her through thick and thin, and she made amazing memories for those she allowed into her life. Her cottage up at Paint Lake was the staple of the summer for my dad growing up. He'd go every summer for a couple weeks with his brothers (my uncles), and mom (my grandmother) and they had the best time. As the years went on the cottage was used less and less, when I was growing up my dad and I would visit once a year for a couple hours to pick up my grandmother and drive her back after she'd spent a couple weeks with my aunt at the cottage. Eventually my aunt would reach the age where she couldn't drive anymore, lost her licence, had to sell the cottage and was cared for daily in a retirement home until the day she passed.
Here she was, closing the Encyclopedia-sized book, and last chapter of her life, while I was writing a whole new chapter to mine. Life is crazy in that way. Most of us, live life to the fullest every single day, but what's the point if one day our life, and our experiences, disappear into thin air. Our heart stops beating and our own memories are worthless. If you think that's the case than you need a reality check...
The Lesson
My aunt's life, along with mine after death, carries on forever if we live it right. Life is a fucking Rube Goldberg machine. Everything we do, no matter how small, affects the people and things around us. If we are kind to others, they will be kind, if we take the time to teach others, they will share that knowledge with others as well.
By doing our part today, we impact the generations after us, at least that's what I believe.
Having my aunt in my life changed who I am today. The experiences I had driving to her cottage once a year were unforgettable. It allowed me to understand what it means to own a cottage, and planted the seed in my head to potentially have one for my kids in the future. I know how much fun my dad had when he visited as a kid, and even in the couple hours I was there as a kid I had the best time. Her cottage has influenced my life and will shape the way I chose to live in the future, which will subsequently impact the people in my life.
Life and Death should not be seen as two extremes because they are, to their core, the same. Both make us sad for recognizing that a chapter is ending, but simultaneously, they bring us joy when we put everything into perspective and appreciate what we have right now.
The Future
I have so much in life to look forward to, and I will continue to push myself our of my comfort zone when I can. This concert was not only one of the best I've ever attended, from a performance perspective, but it also the best learning experience. I learned that I have the capacity to be independent in a completely new way.
My ultimate goal one day is to shed the fear of going on vacation alone. I already know I don't have many people in my life who either could afford, or could make time, to come with me to the places I want to go. I've accepted that because it's no surprise that nobody has the same goals as I do. So with that being said, I know there will come a time in my life where I will be ready, in all aspects of the term, to go to Spain, or Italy, or France, or the UK and I won't find anyone to come with me. When that day comes, as long as I am brave enough to make the leap, I will do it alone, mark my words.
It will not be this year, but it may be next year, or the year after that. Either way, I am making this promise to myself that I will do it. I know there is so much to learn and such an opportunity to grow as a person if I push myself to do it.
The Advice
If there is something you've been wanting to do for a while, but you couldn't find a friend, or family member to do it with, than stop waiting and just do it. Don't let your life and decisions ride on another person's decisions. Be in control of your own life and do what you want, when you want. We are individuals going through life who on occasions need to band together to make a team. If you allow yourself to constantly hinge your life with someone else, you'll never know the limits of what you are capable of doing on your own.
Continue to surround yourself with people who care about you, but remember that you are the only one living your life. So make it count and impact the next generation however you can. But remember, before you can help anyone, you have to help yourself first.
Do what makes you happy, are the easiest words to live by if you stop caring about what other people think. I went to that concert because that's what I wanted, and I didn't let other people's judgments, about attending a concert alone, hinder me from doing what was going to make me happy. There is nothing worst than regret, so don't allow that to be you when you are 70,80,90 years old.
You'll never regret doing something that, in the moment, made your heart flutter and your smile shine.
I promise.
-Marie
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