Little Big Town – Thursday, April 5, 2018
Happy Wednesday, folks!
Last Thursday the Payaso and I went to see Little Big Town in concert at Target Center. We had tickets in the sixth row on the floor, and the view was absolutely amazing. If you ever get the chance to see this group perform in concert, GO! Thank you Kimberly Schlapman (the blondie with the fabulous hair) for looking right at our camera when we took the above picture! The Payaso has learned to appreciate country music more and more these past six years, and he had a great time. You can see here how close we were to the stage even though our selfie isn’t very good.
The opening act included Midland and Kacey Musgraves. I had never heard of Midland before, but I loved their sound and vibe. I knew of Kacey Musgraves, but wasn’t really familiar with her sound. She’s so tiny with a big voice! I’ve listened to more of her music since the concert, and I really love two songs in particular: Space Cowboy and Follow Your Arrow. “Say what you feel; love who you love; ‘cause you just get so many trips ‘round the sun; yeah, you only only live once…” She really sings from the heart. I think the favorite part of her set for us was when thousands of gold glitter-like butterflies fell from the ceiling. We released butterflies in our wedding ceremony, and so butterflies will always hold a special place in our hearts.
My biggest take away from listening to Little Big Town live was their amazing harmonies, and the stories that their lyrics told. Often artists’ studio and live voice differ from one another, which is not the case with Little Big Town. Four strong singers listen to each other, and find harmony in order to produce vocal music while telling a story. Please reread that sentence because there’s a lesson there to be learned. Strong people listening to each other while creating beautiful things. I loved watching these four singers stand on a stage with very little props or grandeur, and simply belt out songs they loved. I could see each of them really listen to each other through their facial and body expressions; it was amazing. It made me think about society in general. Check out their talent here in the song “Can’t Go Back” (video credit to the Payaso).
In their song Happy People, there’s a lyric that says “happy people don’t fail; happy people just learn; don’t think that we’re above the push and shove; they just wait their turn; they always got a hand, or a dollar to spare; know the golden rule, what you’re going’ through even if they never been there.” Throughout the concert, we watched this woman in her late 50’s come to the front row, and take video of the concert. Her seat was probably a few rows behind us, so she had good seats and an equally good view; she wanted better. She’d come to the front of the stage and stand there until security would come tell her to go sit in her seat. Each time, she’d put up a fuss about why she needed to if no one was standing there. This happened over a dozen times throughout the concert. Why did she think she was entitled to stand there despite being told by security to sit down? Why wasn’t being told once enough for her to be considerate of those around her? Did she not realize that standing there was obstructing the view from the people in the first row? I see this sense of entitlement with people trying to get on and off the bus when I commute from St. Paul to Minneapolis. I see it so frequently when I hold the door open for women only to be ignored. Are we really in such a hurry that civility gets lost? Mary Wortley Montagu once wrote, “civility costs nothing and buys everything.” I say this phrase in my head whenever someone thinks that their time is more valuable than mine.
Have we stopped listening to each other? Would we be able to make a bigger impact in the world if we’d only shut up and listen to one another? I don’t hold or have the answers for why people act certain ways in public, but I will say that it breaks my heart when I see people be so reckless in their regard for others around them. I recognize civility when I see others using it in society, and wish I could do more to empower the behavior. Do you remember those Chicken Soup for the Soul books that were popular in the 1990’s? I remember reading a story about a man walking along the shoreline after the tide had rolled out leaving hundreds of starfish trapped on the sand. He’d walk a few steps, bend down to pick up a starfish and throw it back into the ocean. Another man walked up to him and said, “what are you doing? There’s no way you can save all of these starfish. There’s too many and you won’t make a difference!” With that, the first man bent down, picked up a starfish and threw it back into the ocean. “Made a difference to that one,” he said. I love that story. I read it more than 20 years ago, and it still holds a strong memory for me.
My point here is that we all need to work together to bring love and change into the world. There’s a lot of strange things happening in our world these days, and love and mutual respect is going to bring a strong wave of change back to what’s good in this world. Love one another. Pray for one another. Set an example because like that man, you can make a difference in each starfish you help. The ripple effect of these acts of kindness can be far reaching. This doesn’t mean we have to agree with one another, but it means to listen to the differences that are trying to divide in order to help understand each other’s passions. Say please. Say thank you. Say you’re welcome. These acts of civility are absolutely free. Let’s all embrace each other’s uniqueness. Find your passion in effectuating change. I’m passionate about a society that chooses to love rather than divide and attack. I’m passionate about honesty even if it’s hard to swallow. Enough with political scandal and fake news. Enough with affairs with former porn stars. Enough attention has been given to these shenanigans, which have taken away from issues like our elderly, our homeless, and others who are in way more need of attention that political sensationalism. And with that, I’ll get off my soap box…for now.
To end on a happy note, how about some motor boating? Maybe this song will convince winter that it’s really time for spring. I’m sure there are plenty of Minnesotans ready to get their boats out on our beautiful, Minnesota lakes.
“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity.” ~ Roy Bennett