So my 21 year old son and I drove up to Asheville to hear you, and of course you didn’t disappoint. A friend and I had seen you many years ago when you were bopping around Cat’s Cradle in your Charlie Brown shirt (yes, I am fully aware I am using the term ‘bop’) – I think we all had more spring in our steps back then.
Anyway, the highlight of my Grey Eagle night was when you sang “Trigger Happy,” which was a particularly poignant song for me back when you released it. I was a single mother (not by choice) in my third year of law school at Wake Forest with two small children. I used to listen to “Love Story” a lot during that time, and I would gaze at my children who often seemed oblivious to the chaos of our lives – and the lyrics of that song always spoke to me.
Sitting beside me, my now ‘grown’ son noticed that I was trying to clandestinely wipe tears from my eyes. He leaned over to me, put his arm around me, and gave my shoulders a squeeze. I whispered to him that I always think about him and that time of our lives when I hear that song, and he replied, “I know.”
That child will be a senior in college and the other will be visiting colleges this summer (including NYU as I mentioned to you.)
As our children leave us – and you may not be at this stage yet as your eldest is just heading to college now – the kind of “moments” like the one I had with my son at your show are beyond precious – and I imagine that moment and a few others will help sustain me on that not so long road towards my dotage . . ..
Thanks.