Blessed and Lucky.

So, I haven't written a post in a while, huh? Well, was busy last week taking care of some zardoz business over someplace else. Who was #400? Oh, yeah, that was ME!!! *ahem* here's the damn post I had been working on before I got busy and distracted....... I got an email last Wednesday, one that I assumed had gone to the entire volunteer community of the Old Town School of Folk Music. It said: We could use some help selling merchandise for the Rosanne Cash show at the Harris Theater on Friday.....blah blah blah. I deleted it. My first thoughts were that I didn't want to stay downtown after work on Friday. Usually Fridays by 4:30 I'm so ready to head for the hills, or at least out of the Loop and closer to my own digs. Last Thursday morning I woke up, and Woke the F UP. This is Rosanne Cash. As in nominated for a Granny Rosanne Cash. "Seven Year Ache" Rosanne Cash. A legend in her own right, not to mention who her dad was..... 8:00 am I email Old Town's volunteer manager: You wouldn't happen to still need help for the Rosanne Cash, do you? sit and stew stew and sit sit and stew 3:00 pm response received: Von, sure, we'd love to have you help out. Here are your instructions..... Instructions that included how to get backstage, and how to get my ticket to the show! The show was amazing. Beyond amazing. Fantastic. Her voice, I can't even talk about it. Which is saying something for me, because as a general rule I dislike female singers. I like some, but they have to have some distinct character to their voices for me to like them at all. For example, I like Stevie Nicks, Natalie Merchant, Joan Jett, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and now Rosanne Cash. There has to be something extra there for female singers to hold my attentions. (I know, it's a weird thing, but it's my thing, whatever) So after the show we have to return the merch and count the $$. Where do we do this? Backstage. We get there (all access pass? yes? go right through) and there's no more than 10 people there. And Rosanne Cash. As a rule, I leave the artists alone. This is true of me at Old Town, Folk & Roots, anywhere where I'm doing something that has musicians involved. They've done their job, it's rest time, leave them alone. As we were getting ready to head out, one of the other people I was working with (D) was stalling. "What?" "I don't know what to do?" "What? You want to meet her, don't you?" "Kinda. Yes. Yes I do" "Well, go do it. This is your only chance, probably ever. She's up for a Grammy in two days. Do it. Just go over there." We were overheard by our "boss" for the evening, an awesome staffer at Old Town, A. She took us right over to Rosanne and introduced us all. Rosanne was one of those genuinely warm people. You know the ones - she took your hand to shake it in both of hers. She leaned in to talk, made eye contact, touched your arm when she thanked us for helping out. I told her she was fantastic. Because she was. On stage, in person, just all around. After the big meeting, we headed out. We were in Millennium Park, and it was snowing. It wasn't cold cold, there was no wind. It was 11:00 at night, so there weren't really any other people around. The city was all clean and twinkly and quiet, just beautiful. I stopped walking (as I sometimes do) and just looked all around me, taking it all in, hoping to remember the entire evening forever. As I was getting in the cab, I thought 'Blessed and lucky. Some people, many people, would never even have a chance to have this experience. 1,000 people at that concert tonight would have paid big bucks to meet her. I truly am a very lucky girl.' I think the part of me that is finally growing up can see that I do have really amazing experiences in my life, and I need to stop taking them for granted. ** Side note. I highly, HIGHLY recommend you go and buy Rosanne's new album "The List", which is based on a list of songs her dad gave to her when she was 17 or 18. Amazing. With guest artists Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, and others!**