Yesterday was a red letter day. I am sitting at my computer in my kitchen before 7 am. No coffee yet, just basking in the memory that was yesterday.
The day started out normal. The animals woke me ridiculously early. I woke up, fed the barbarians and fell asleep on the sofa. I woke up again and got a little giddy because I was actually going to hear live music performed. TWICE!
Picked up my trusty sidekick – which means I opened my garage and unlocked the car doors because she is my neighbor and best friend – and headed North. We went to see the Sinatra Experience. It was an amazing show. Filled with my old favorites. Including an “old favorite” friend who I haven’t seen in YEARS.
I hugged her with wild abandon. Like the old days. Secure in the knowledge that we have both been vaccinated and quite honestly, it was just instinct. I am a hugger after all. After spending 90 minutes with my oldest musical friends, I came home to feed the beasts.
After that, my trusty sidekick and I piled into her car and headed south and forward in time a few musical decades to one of my least favorite summer venues. It is outdoors and HOT, but at least we had real seats, under cover and with giant fans which helped move the humid air across our bodies.
About midway through the concert, the lovely old geezers from 70s rock bank Chicago, took a 20-minute intermission. I looked up from checking the score of the ball game (damn Phillies are constantly breaking my heart) and I see another friend who I haven’t seen in years. We hugged each other. It was the best kind of hug. The kind where you just hug tight without moving. No hand rubbing just squeezing the life out of each other and breathing. Reacquainting yourselves. Telling each other you love them and just breathing in their essence. The kind of soul hug that you save for special occasions.
It has been so long since I have fallen into anyone’s arms and hugged them. Not the quick hug/squeeze and especially not the big deep hug.
The music was great. The Sinatra experience transported me. I closed my eyes and felts the big band sounds washing over my body and feeling like I was in the room with the Chairman of the Board – Old Blue Eyes. And Chicago – well it was like a soundtrack of my youth and a lot of memories rushed over me.
But honestly, aside from marking the days I returned to concerting, I will remember the hugs. Hugs were stolen from me when COVID changed our lives. I reclaimed a little piece of my life yesterday and I couldn’t be happier.
Two hugs. Two live music experiences.
But wow. The hugs.
Edie Rodetsky 