A decisive multiple sclerosis night out
Is MS the reason why I’m so freaking indecisive?
I’ve thought about it a lot and can’t decide.
Last Saturday I had plans to meet up with my equally indecisive friend, Lucy. Not the young Lucy from an earlier post, Out of the Mouth of Lucy; this Lucy is an adult and we have been friends for years.
We couldn’t decide what we were going to do that Saturday night- we just knew we wanted to do something.
Someone from work had given Lucy free tickets to see a live band that we had never heard of. The words “free” and “live band” should have definitely defined our options but we just weren’t sure.
Multiple sclerosis was certainly a factor in my indecision but not in the way you might think. The loud noise and fatigue worries that usually come with me to social events actually slipped my mind this time.
My worry was the venue. It was a tent about 25 miles away located next to an abandoned, creepy, air force base on a cliff overlooking the ocean.
What’s wrong with that?
A tent means a tent which means no facilities which means the dreaded port-a-potty.
Complicating my horrific MS bladder is my greatly increasing germ-a-phobia and port-a-potties I just can’t do. I don’t care about the tricks people have shared with me for using them. Just the idea of opening the door sent me cringing……
But still, live music for free, I was tempted.
Lucy showed up at my house and we discussed our evening options.
“What do you want to do?”
“I don’t know, what do you want to do?
Back and forth we went until we couldn’t take it anymore and our night was flashing by. We finally wrote our different options on folded pieces of paper. I made Lucy pick-I couldn’t handle the pressure.
The tent won. So I used the bathroom for what would likely be the last time in several hours and we started out.
Five miles into our journey the sky darkened.
Ten miles in we heard thunder and saw streak lightening.
“Do you think we should turn back?”
“I don’t know, what do you think we should do?”
“I don’t know, what do you think we should do?”
The rains came just before we reached our destination. But once in the parking lot it seemed to let up a bit.
It was then I made my only decisive decision of the evening.
“Lucy, I think it’s letting up- let’s make a run for it.”
No sooner did we walk away from the car when the downpour hit, complete with heavy winds and, of all things, hail!
So much for decisions.
We rushed under the huge canvas arriving soaked, pelted, and bruised. We still hadn’t totally committed to this concert but it would have been silly to leave at that point.
So we shook ourselves off, headed to the bar and then found seats on the edge of the venue, should we decide to bail early. In minutes the wind grew fierce-so fierce it blew out the canvas sides of the tent leaving us wetter and even more beaten up.
It scared us too and we did the wise thing, running to seats deeper underneath the now shaking tent.
We watched the frames and speakers wobble above us as we listened to the howling wind.
Should we leave?
“I don’t know, what do you think we should do?”
It didn’t help when I heard the fellow townie behind me say, “aye, there’s a squall a-comin. Hope this bitch is anchored down.”
Nor did it help when the band took the stage and the lead singer held up his beer, toasted the crowd and exclaimed “Well, if we go down at least we go down together.”
While amusing it was also concerning. I’m not usually so wimpy but being surrounded by 200 plus people when a huge, flapping, filthy canvas collapsed in a freak storm seemed to me to be the stuff of nightly news proportions.
I’m not afraid of the end; I just worry about how the end happens. If this was to be the end it didn’t seem so great, being trampled by an audience at a concert I hadn’t committed to with a band I wasn’t sure I would even like.
I almost would have preferred to be tossed from the tent into the Atlantic just a few yards beyond. Perhaps entering a free standing port-a-potty wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
Yes, leaving would have been the smart thing to do. But I had just shelled out $7 for a little plastic cup of cheap wine. I figured we could reassess the situation after a few more gulps.
The end would seem smoother if I had a small buzz going on.
Thing is, about two songs in, and four sips down, we stopped worrying about the risky weather. The “bitch” must have been anchored down or maybe the winds let up. Who knows?
I can’t tell you because the band was that good!
Before we knew it, the Adam Ezra Group had us clapping, then chair dancing and then actually dancing
Soon I forgot about port-a-potties and tents. I forgot about the end and being indecisive. I even forgot about expensive cheap wine.
The whole night seemed to fit together perfectly when Adam Ezra introduced one song based on a humiliating experience of his. At the end of his introduction he asked “isn’t laughing at our embarrassing moments healing in some way, especially when sharing those moments with others?”
I could relate. Isn’t that exactly what I do? Don’t I take the humiliating things multiple sclerosis makes me do, because of course, I’d never do stupid stuff on my own, and then share it with all of you so we can laugh at me, and at MS together?
And I realized that perhaps it’s the unexpected moments, the ones you really don’t decide, that make life fun.
And this band was definitely fun!
There’s one terrible, horrible side note however.
The last song the group performed was an acoustic cover and they asked the audience to come down to the stage and sing it with them. Everyone was pretty hyped and so we headed down, excited to participate.
But then I heard the opening notes of all things, of all the songs in the world, “Let it Be”- a Beatles song!
As you likely know from millions of my prior posts, I’m a Stones fan. And while there are many people who can be both a Rolling Stones fan and a Beatles fan, I’m not one of them.
I glared at Lucy and her smile told me to get over it.
And I did!
The Adam Ezra Group was that good!
Adam was being filmed as he walked among us singing and playing. At one point he stood on a chair directly in front of me. And so, you my friends and readers who happen to be Beatles fan should be pleasantly shocked to know that someone, somewhere has footage of me dancing and singing to a Beatles song!
What has the world come too???
If you get a chance to check out the Adam Ezra Group either in person or on line you won’t be disappointed! And no, I’m not being paid to promote them. I just love their music and think you will too!
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Glad you made the right decision and had a good time despite it all.
🙂
Sometimes you gotta let go & roll with the situation.
You hung in there, thumbing your nose at MS, and were rewarded.
We all need to do that more often!
So true my friend!
Great writing, so glad you and Lucy came and enjoyed the concert. I am both a Beatles and Stones fan. The song Let It Be still brings goose pimples!
Was great to see you guys! I enjoyed the sing along to Let It Be. I just had to tell myself it wasn’t a you know who song!
What a great story! We first saw the band at the Melody Tent in Hyannis. We were at the beer fest in 2014. Fell in love with the band. We follow them as much as we can now that we live in Ohio. We just saw them at the Ramble on Salisbury beach Ma. If you ever get the chance you should share this story with Adam. He loves to hear peoples stories. He’s also an amazing person. All the band members are. For sure take time to meet them sometime. Our AEG family gets bigger all the time but we are a group of caring people in a very confusing & frustrating world. Prayers & love for all you go through each day!💜
So glad you checked out my blog Tina-and so excited to be part of the AEG family!! And you have Cape roots too. We definitely need to chat more! I’m sending you a private message.
Thanks for the heads-up to this gem from the archives. I’ve had days like that at Falcon Ridge! New England weather – whaddya gonna do?
Also got a kick out of the continuing “Marty” routine between you and Lucy.
Thought you’d enjoy this one Marty! Will have to check out Falcon Ridge!! Have a wonderful holiday!!