It happened. We got old. And we didn’t quite realize it until that night, as we stood in a sea of bodies, waiting for a concert to start. There we were, a young married couple sandwiched right in between a bunch of unruly frat boys and a trio of girls in clothes so little I wanted to buy them each a sweatshirt. I imagined what an aerial picture would look like of that exact moment, and how out of place the girl in a button up and cardi would look amongst all of the crop tops and short shorts. That girl in the cardi was me.
The show happened, we bought our obligatory show t-shirts, and headed out of the dimly lit venue. And as our feet settled into a rhythm on the sidewalk we walked in silence for the first block, mostly because we were waiting for our ears to adjust to hearing things at a normal level, and partly because our brains were still digesting the spectacle we had just witnessed for the past two hours. We got to the car, and both agreed the show was amazing (really, if you haven’t checked out St. Paul & the Broken Bones you are doing yourself a MAJOR disservice!) but then something happened that made me love Ben all that much more. He paused for a beat, and then simply uttered the sentence “I feel old.” And I sighed a huge sigh of relief, because I really did too.
I confessed to him how there were times the music was so loud it literally gave me chest pains, and I found myself casually checking my pulse in the middle of songs to make sure I was still living. He talked about his love of assigned seats, and how they are so much better than open floor mosh pits. We mutually agreed how annoying we found it that the people standing right in front of us were talking instead of watching the show (I mean really. You paid $50 for this), and how we had to fight the urge to want to sweep up the broken glass that seemed to make it’s way to the floor throughout the evening. And as we began our drive home our fingers intertwined that much tighter, knowing we were each holding the hand of someone who just GOT US.
So yes, it’s happened. I think we’ve finally gotten “old”. But it isn’t like I ever imagined when I was a kid, when I would sit dreading the grown up boring version of myself I would one day become. In fact, it is wonderful. It is amazing, and comfortable, and oh-so-perfect for me. Because the person I get to grow even older with will be right there with me, for every crotchety, wrinkly, early-bird-dinnery step of the way. And I just can’t wait for it all.
Hope your week gets off to a wonderful start today, and that your lucky enough to share a bit of your day with someone who just GETS YOU.
Love + Laughs,
Sarah
