“LIVE BEFORE YOU DIE”
“Sit down son. Come take my hand.
Look me in the eye. Take these words.
Promise me you’ll live before you die”
- Bon Jovi
Dream #18: “Backstage at a Bon Jovi Concert”
“Mr. Jovi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Mr. Jovi?
Let me explain.
A long time ago (in the mid-80’s), in a galaxy far, far away (unless you live on Earth), there was a young boy with big dreams. He just didn’t have the courage to pursue them.
His name was Timmy and he was a little…different. Now, don’t get me wrong, he was well-liked but no one ever considered him “cool”. No wait. That’s a lie. There was that freckly kid who stored boogers in his braces. He thought Timmy was pretty awesome.
Anyways, Timmy journeyed through the already awkward teen years, seemingly intent on increasing the awkwardness, by living a few years behind everyone else in the areas of fashion, trends and especially…music.
When others were listening to Bon Jovi, Timmy was listening to The Beach Boys (not that there is anything wrong that). However, Timmy secretly liked this Bon Jovi. The hair. The energy. The name “Bon”. What an awesome first name.
Bon.
Timmy often wondered if he would ever get the opportunity to meet Bon and utter these words,
“Mr. Jovi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
25(ish) years later…I have yet to have that pleasure. And even though, at some point over the last quarter century, I discovered that Bon Jovi’s first name is actually Jon, I’d still be incredibly honoured to have that experience.
Now, having said that let me bend your mind slightly.
I am a fan of Bon Jovi but very few people would ever know. You see, although meeting Jon Bon Jovi would be a dream come true, I don’t know the names of all of their albums or even how many they have. There are no Bon Jovi T-shirts in my closet, no Bon Jovi posters on my wall and no Bon Jovi tattoos on my body. In fact, I’ve never been to a Bon Jovi concert and my tiny music collection isn’t even home to a Bon Jovi CD.
Believe me, I am well aware that my position on the “Fan-Meter” is right near (or at) the bottom, but let me say this: Bon Jovi sits in a very unique place in my life.
In January, I compiled my Dare2Dream list. In it were 18 dreams that I desired to fulfill by my next birthday (July 21, 2010). These were the cream of the crop. They were the 18 things that were deeply ingrained into my, “That would really be awesome!” section of my heart.
One of those dreams is to “Go Backstage at a Bon Jovi Concert”, and it truly would be awesome to meet Jon and finally utter those words from my childhood,
“Mr. Jovi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I love music. I really do. But, the few CD’s I own are dust collectors and I fail miserably at games like “Name that Tune”. Music, unlike baseball or comedy, has simply never been a defining factor of my life. Yet, somehow, Bon Jovi is etched so deep into my being that I’ve included meeting him on this list of dreams.
That, I believe, says something about the power and magic that is Bon Jovi.
A few days ago, a friend surprised me with tickets to “The Circle Tour”, in Toronto...on July 21, 2010.
That's my birthday! I almost fell of my chair. I cannot tell you how excited I am to be able to attend this concert. I’ve been practicing “Livin’ on a Prayer” for years in the car and I can’t wait to belt it out in the Roger’s Center.
In 1993, I was in that very stadium when Joe Carter hit a homerun to win the World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays. It was, by far, the most electric experience of my life. Now, I can’t promise “The Circle Tour” concert is going to take that #1 spot, but I am expecting it to at least challenge for 1a.
However, guaranteed, July 21, 2010 would become, “The Most Awesome Birthday of my Life”, if I was to get the opportunity to fulfill Dream #18 (not listed in any particular order) and say,
“Mr. Jovi. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Have a good one,
Dare 2 Dream,
Timmy
*Update: My birthday was AWESOME! The show was incredible! You gotta love those video screens. Didn't meet Mr. Jovi...but the dream continues...
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