older and wiser.

in past years my summers have been filled with music festivals (generally between 3 and 4), this year i have attended one day of one festival.
ashamed.
i mean, i made it count. i watched multiple shows, including some bands i hadn't seen before. i got ridiculously sunburned. i sang my little heart out. but i still only went to one day when in years past i would have given my front teeth to be there the entire time.
now i wasn't exceptionally bothered by this until i got a text from a friend basically calling me old. i texted said friend during the switchfoot show because we have a long history of a mutual love of switchfoot (literally one day during lunch in high school we talked about one song the entire hour). i gave my friend guff for not being there and friend responded by asking if i was in the pit. i said i was down front but by the soundboard, not in the way-front getting elbowed by 14 year old girls. the text back, "yeah, we're not made for that anymore."
i wanted to be mad. i wanted to argue. i wanted to say something snarky and prove my friend wrong by shoving myself to the front. but truth of it is, my friend is right. i would now much rather be able to hear and see the show as opposed to fighting to keep my spot the whole time while i'm face-to-sweaty-armpit with some tall dude who doesn't realize (or maybe he just doesn't care) that i can't see a blasted thing. and it's a pretty great thing being able to leave a show knowing that if you're sweaty, it's only your sweat on you.
so as we come upon the end of the summer and the final festivals of the season you'd better believe that i'm going to the entirety of lifelight in south dakota. i will soak up all the music i have missed out on this summer. i will give a solid attempt at getting some fading summer sun before the cold winter greys rear their frigid head. and i will sing until my throat is raw.
you can find me back by the soundboard.

xo