the heart of life.

Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't like John Mayer. Based on his womanizing and often bizarre media coverage I feel like I'm not supposed to like him. But today on the bus ride to work a song of his popped up on my iPod and it was both a message I needed to hear in the moment as well as a mini walk down memory lane...

In high school a group of gal pals and I took a drive to see ol' Johnny in concert (before he was a "big" artist) at a...wait for it...Kahunaville in Delaware.  Here's what I remember most from that day:

1.  It was sweltering hot.  The concert took place outdoors and it was next to impossible to weed through the crowds to even buy a glass of water which cost something ridiculous like $8.  I remember having no more cash and wanting the sun to go down so badly I was on the verge of leaning over and drinking out of the cup of the stranger next to me when he wasn't looking.  Germs be damned. I could've chugged like a camel.

2.  It was a nightmare trying to exit the venue.  When it was finally our turn to even *enter* the exit line from the pre-exit line a group of girls in another car started to cut us off. My group of girls and I yelped and made hand gestures and tried to get their attention to politely scream at them, Jersey style, to get the heck out of the way...but they smugly ignored us and continue to inch us out of line.  Fueled by what can only be considered extreme dehydration I launched my packet of Kraft Ritz Handi Snack Breadsticks and Cheese (no, I don't know why I had that in the car) at their vehicle and it's half cracked window.  The scene then played out in slow motion; the passenger saw the crackers flying through the air, tried to roll up the window before impact, and then was promptly hit in the forehead by a loose bread stick while the rest of the package stuck to the window, courtesy of the cheese.  Shocked by what had just happened the enemy car paused long enough for us to gun it back to our deserved place in line. I felt victorious. I also felt remorseful; my thirst had evolved to hunger, and that was my only available snack.

and 3.  There was a pause in John's guitar strumming in between songs and for whatever reason I decided to take the quiet opportunity to yell "You're so hot!" (side note; I don't actually think he's hot...so...I don't know why I yelled that).  John Mayer then looked into the crowd and said "Well thank you."  I died. My friends died.  I really wanted a glass of water.

A message from Mr. Mayer;

"...There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears and listen
Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good

You know it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
Then the circle of your friends
Will defend the silver lining..."

Suffice to say, as of this morning John and I are on good terms again.

In Gratitude,

Trish