It has always been my dream to see U2 live in concert. I own many U2 concert DVDs, and every time I put one on – I envision myself in the audience (actually, I sometimes imagine I’m Bono) living the dream.
This past summer it finally came true for Tanya and I!
After waiting two years from the time we received our tickets (thanks to two wonderful friends) we finally lined up outside Commonwealth Stadium at 1:50pm on a gorgeous June day to get in to see Bono, The Edge, Larry and Adam. With a concert start time of 7:00pm we knew we had to settle in for the long haul. (Not as long as some other die-hards mind you, who arrive the night before)
So we waited and we waited...and we waited - patiently.
At 5:00pm we took our places in the inner circle (15’ from the stage! Woot! Woot!) and we waited some more! The Fray opened the concert at 7:30pm and my fellow Irishmen took the stage at 9:15pm as David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” (Ground Control to Major Tom) blared out over the stadium.
I was elated! I was overjoyed! I was at home with 65,000 screaming fans (most of them Irish, all of them friends) – and I loved it!
After the concert, we stood in line again (with about 50,000 people this time) waiting patiently to get onto Edmonton’s LRT system so that we could get back to our hotel room. No one pushed, no one was aggravated. After all, we’ve just spent the last two hours listening to the biggest rock band in the world.
We got back to the hotel at 1:30am and ordered pizza from a 24 hour pizzeria just down the street. Well I guess all 65,000 fans decided to order pizza from the same joint ‘cause we had to wait an hour and a half to have our supper.
So we were waiting again...this time IMPATIENTLY – we called the pizzeria twice to inform them that we were not happy!)
I was the “King of Patience” for the last two years as I waited to see U2. I was a picture of serenity and good will as we stood in line before, during and after the concert.
Not one word of frustration crossed my mind or passed my lips that day until…I had to wait for my supper!
Why?
Perhaps it comes down to the way I see things. When it comes to seeing U2 live, I see it as a privilege and an honour just to be there. I am truly grateful for the experience.
When it comes to food and service however, I just expect that my needs will be met. And when they’re not, look out! Not much gratitude, just a sense of entitlement.
Could it be that my “sense of entitlement” is the cause of my impatience?
I’ve been reminded of this experience as I’ve been out Christmas shopping. I can be quite impatient at Walmart and Toys R Us expecting the poor lady working at the till to work faster because after all…”Christmas will be here before you’re done ringing my items through!”
Maybe impatience is just another way for me to focus on…me.
Thinking about this has invited me to start to seeing life as one great big ongoing U2 concert…seeing every day as a beautiful day…an opportunity to live life to the fullest…an opportunity to be grateful…and if I have to wait in line in buy a few Christmas presents…so be it…with a little effort, I can be the “King of Patience.”
