When my daughter was growing up, she hit the perfect demographic when the boy-band N’Sync hit their zenith. Lucky me. N’Sync’s tour included an outdoor venue in Joliet, Illinois. Joliet was just within driving distance. Lucky me. So I bought two tickets, and we made it a daddy/daughter adventure.
Per my daughter’s instructions, we had to arrive early. We had reserved seating, albeit in the nose-bleed section, but she wanted to experience the concert. I understood that, so we set off early for our road trip.
We arrived so early that we found a parking spot close enough that my daughter could catch glimpses of roadies and the band’s entourage going in and out of the tour busses. Here, I should say we were parked on the grass. Later, the grass will become relevant to the story.
Postage Stamps
Finally, off we went in search of our seats. When we found them, even the Jumbotron displays looked like postage stamps. None of this phased my daughter. She was in the “zone.” I was, too, was in the zone; I was in a very uncomfortable zone. Looking around, all I saw were tens of thousands of girls with their mothers. Oh, and me. A dad.
When the music started with the opening act, the entire stadium erupted from their pent up energy. I don’t remember who was the first act. The second act was Pink. And, then, the moment my daughter had waited for and dreamt of happened.
N’Sync took the stag. Ten’s of thousands of teenage girls and moms that acted like teenage girls all jumped to their feet, swaying and dancing and in a state of ecstasy like what you see from whirling dervishes. Oh, I was sitting down, checking my watch, and trying to be a good dad while being way out of my comfort zone.
Finally, N’Sync did their last encore, and the stage lights went down. Quickly, my daughter and I made our way to the car. As I began returning to my comfort zone, I could see the moms leaving their teenage selves and became moms again. Oh, did I mention that it rained while we were there?
Not A Field Of Dreams
Arriving at our car, I noticed that the grass field we’d parked on was no longer a field of dreams but an expanse of mud, perfect for demolition derby. The parking crew must have gone home because it was complete chaos — thousands upon thousands of cars headed in all directions. No one could find a way to get out of the muck and mire. We discovered the parking crew was kind enough to leave one gate open.
Three hours after the last encore, at one o’clock in the morning, we exited the venue, traversed unknown streets, and finally began our homeward trip. Somewhere, around three o’clock, I parked the car in a closed gas station and went to sleep. My daughter had been asleep before we got out of the venue.
The Journey’s End
At sunrise, I awoke, found a place for us to eat, and drove the rest of the way home. My daughter was happy, my wife praised me, and I was glad we had a daddy/daughter adventure.
In 1 John 3:18 (ESV), God’s Word says, “Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” Sometimes love places us way out of our comfort zone but that’s okay. It’s love.
Photo by Banter Snaps on Unsplash
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