i've had my moments...

there are these moments in life. moments where, maybe something big has happened to you. moments of sweet joy that you hope you will remember forever. moments where you want to stop and look around, memorizing every detail. do you know the kind i'm talking about? well, i had one of these moments. while it wasn't of the life altering variety, like a wedding day, or birth of a child, it was a moment of pure joy. and, it involved 5 boys from Boston, yes, New Kids on the Block.


when i was young i was a huge fan of the New Kids, not unlike every other girl my age. i had their posters on my wall, their faces on my school books, and a giant button depicting my favorite...Joey. i dedicated countless hours to learning details about their lives, to say the least i was slightly obsessed. and, i always dreamed of seeing them in concert, but never got the chance, until now. i didn't realize until i was sitting in my seat, that it had been 18 years. that fact didn't make me feel old, as it should have, it made me really excited, giddy in fact. when those boys, now men, came on stage i transformed back into that 13 year old girl, along with every other woman in that room.


now, for those of you who know me, you know that i'm pretty laid back. i don't get overly excited, i don't yell or scream, i don't lift my hands or even clap when i sing. well, you would not have recognized me, because i screamed to the point of losing my voice. i clapped, i sang at the top of my lungs, i waved my arms back and forth, and yes, i danced. like i said...13 year old girl.

the "moment" came during the second encore...hangin' tough. of course the crowd was singing along, because no amount of time could erase those lyrics from our minds. i looked around and saw thousands of people waving their arm, just like we saw the boys do thousands of times, singing "oh oh oh oh oh, hangin' tough." I realized that the dream of my 13 year old self had come true...i got to see NKOTB in concert. i had waited 18 years to hear Donnie tell me to throw my hands in the air and wave em' like i just don'e care. and in that moment, there was a complete sense of happiness, joy and familiarity.

i had been nervous for the boys. i mean, they're not really boys anymore, they're men with wives and children. they're in their late 30's, dancing around like they did when they were teenagers. i was worried that it wouldn't translate, that it would be awkward, and i desperately wanted them to succeed. they did an amazing job! in fact, i found myself thankful that i was seeing them now, as an adult, when i could appreciate it, appreciate the talent and hard work. it was a great show!