When was the last time you went to a good concert? Remember how much you paid? The cheap seats were $150 and you were sitting so far and high, like the elevator lady said, “you are closer to Jesus” that you needed binoculars to see the performer.
Most of the time I can’t afford the good seats, when I was single I was broke and now that I’m married everything cost twice as much.
Adriana is all about going to concerts, normally her sidekick is one of her friends who owns couple sets of binoculars so they don’t have to share while they are sitting next to Jesus, however, I was inform this week that she was taking me to see Maná, one of my favorite singers. My excitement, or lack of it, was obvious.
I knew what to expect, my worry was I don’t own any binoculars. So I prepare myself for this adventure, the start time according to the tickets was 8 pm, I figured we needed to leave the house by 6:45 in order to get there by 7:30, park the car and walk to the concert hall.
At this point my wife had spend $150 for both tickets, a real bargain, we left the house at 7:15, don’t ask why, and I was all stressed driving to make it on time, we arrived with time to spare but the first parking lot was $30 so I drove another block and found one for $20, I figured if I keep driving it would get cheaper, I was right, 5 blocks away I found one for $10. If I drove any farther like back home it would have been free. We parked and started walking to the venue, it was cold and damp, my jacket, a wind breaker, the only thing it could do was keep the wind of my body but it was not even blowing, so by the time we arrive at the concert I was cold, my feet hurt and it was past 8 o’clock.
The lady at the gate said take a left and use the elevator to the 4th floor, I figured if the elevator was available everyone is probably already sitting watching the concert. We entered the elevator and a nice lady driving the elevator, it was probably an union job, asked me for the floor I was going to, I said, the top-one but I didn’t bring binoculars to see the concert, and she replied, “but you are closer to Jesus” I didn’t have anything to say, I thought, should I tip her or ask for a blessing. The door open and thousand people around us hog the beer and chili counters to buy some food, it was already twenty minutes passed eight, hurriedly we went to our seats and the lights were on and the concert area seems empty.
Let’s get something to drink and eat my wife said, I already imagine the 20 minutes lines at the food counters, I was certain I was going to miss half of the concert, however, I was willing to endure the wait rather than to hear the complaints later. Fifty dollars later we returned to our seats, it was already 8:45.
A concert schedule for 8 pm that doesn’t start until 9 pm only means one thing, you didn’t spend enough money. By nine o’clock I was already $100 in the hole, Adriana had spend $150, the concert had no started, I didn’t have any binoculars and I was sitting next to Jesus, Jose and Maria and wishing I was hundred dollars richer sitting at home watching the concert on my TV, just like I was at the concert, except I could be watching on my pajamas.
