Ticket for One

August 12, 2023

It’s wild how dichotomous life can be.

The past 24 hours have been some of the hardest, heart wrenching I have had in a very, very long time.

And also, I experienced something on my bucket list and did it confidently and comfortably by myself - something I am not sure I ever could have done in the past.

There are very few artists that I truly love and appreciate their full body of work. So concert-going isn’t a big thing for me.

But, I secretly loved The Chicks when I was younger, really appreciate their newest album, and have so much respect for how they show up as artists.

So I bought a ticket for one. I’ve never heard of anyone going to a concert solo but I’ve been carving my own path lately so what’s one more thing. Kind of terrifying but I wanted to be as close to the front as possible and sing my heart out with them.

But then the life got intense right before it. I wasn’t sure how I would be able to still go. I was kind of a mess.

I dug deep into the new “toolbox” I have created for myself (thank you Reclaiming Melissa!). I felt all the feelings. I focused on breathing and my exhale. I held my hands on my chest and repeated some important affirmations for me. I kept the windows rolled down as I drove. I sang very very loudly in the car. I literally shook it out of my body.

And you know what? I was able to be fully and completely present at the concert. I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t thinking about all the other things going on. I was grounded and steady.

I sang and jumped and swayed and felt the percussion deeply and gratefully in my chest.

This is life. When you decide to allow yourself to feel, you feel the hard deeply but you also get to experience the joys in a pretty awesome way.

Some highlights:

When I found my seat, the amazing women next to me asked if I was alone and then said I was a part of them now.

When the person on the other side of me arrived, we knew each other and had fun taking it all in!

I stayed in me seat after the show and watched the incredible magic that is the well-orchestrated tear-down process!

As I walked to my Jeep, I found a cute blue duck. A carful of people rolled down their windows to comment on the Jeep and the duck. Then one said, “Wait, did you come by yourself???” Me (proud): “Yes!” Her: “I love your vibe!”

P.S. - I loved my vibe, too!!

P.P.S. - The security guards at these concerts are the real hero’s!