When looking for one event in the past year that changed me, it was hard to decide which event would be the one to choose. This past year has been a big year for me mentally, physically, and emotionally in school and at home in my personal life. I lost people I never expected to lose as friends, I watched life pass by right in front of my eyes, I had troubles at home with family that would leave me in a position I never wanted to be in, and I had a few health scares. Although it was small, one unlikely event that brought great change to my life was a concert I attended in September of 2017. I remember the day and the time so vividly that it feels as though I am reliving the day as I write this paper.

Prior to this day, I had burden after burden placed in front of me so much so that when this day, a day I had been looking forward to for months, came around I almost convinced myself not to go. Trouble at home and stress at school drained me of my senses and creativity. I woke up that morning, not thrilled nor depressed to be getting up, but instead emotionless. Awakened by the bright sunlight, I squinted and groaned before turning off my alarm and heading to my bathroom to get ready. I looked at myself in the mirror almost not recognizing the girl staring back at me. I looked lifeless as if all the color, light, and shadows that had once inhabited my face no longer played there. After brushing my teeth, I grabbed my brown and white uniform. As I was adjusting the fabric of my shirt and my skirt, it felt like putty in my hands. The sequence of events were no different than the routine I had done the days before nor would it be different for the days to come. One by one my feet cascaded down the stairs. The weight of my backpack felt like the metaphorical weight of life I had been carrying through those days and weeks before that Tuesday in September. Driving away from my house, the struggles I had been facing and the stress of the day ahead of me made themselves at home in my mind. Despite being consumed in all my thoughts, I slowly drifted out of the negativity when I heard an ad on the radio, “LANY, tonight in New Orleans for the first time at the House of Blues.” Realization set in, I had completely forgotten about the concert. Suddenly, I had hope knowing that I had something to look forward to, but it was short lived. As I sped on to the interstate, I gripped the leather steering wheel tightly doing my best to get through the echoing sound of passing cars. I further began to think about the concert, wondering if I should even attend. Sitting there droopy eyes focused on a plain gray road and the red stop lights in front of me, my mind was circling with the different errands and work I had to do for the next day. Slowly, I talked myself out of going to the concert. I thought, even though I had spent good money on the tickets and had been talking about the concert for months, it would be in my best interest to stay home and stick to the same nightly routine as I have carried out the past few weeks: Go home, do homework, eat dinner, shower, do more homework, study, and then go to bed. Bringing the car to a stop, I grabbed my things and made my way into school. I went through the day, one failure after the other. I was excluded from small talk at the lunch table, and to complete my day,  a demerit for turning my absence sheet in ten minutes late. When three ten came, I was more than happy to leave. But for what? To go home and to continue to be sad? One thing was in my mind, I surely could not go to the concert. Just as I was about to make my decision final, my phone rang. Answering hesitantly, it was my friend Gillian. She explained to me how excited she was to go to the concert tonight. I knew I could not let her down so I pushed my worries aside and decided I would go.

After an hour of getting ready at my house, my mom drove Gil and I downtown to the House of Blues. Upon arrival, I smelled the fried catfish cooking inside the restaurant, I heard the beeping of metal detectors, and I witnessed joy that radiated off of eager fans’ faces. Stepping out of the car, I felt a rush flow through me. For the first time in awhile, I felt alive. As my feet dragged across the cracks upon the pavement and into the building, my stomach did backflips due to my nerves and excitement.  Approaching closer to the stage, I felt the foundation of the room shake and the bass of the song beating perfectly in sync with my heart. Moving through the crowded room, bodies pressed against bodies, we finally found a place to stand just in time for the lights to go down. Then, the band to made their way on stage. As the night progressed, song after song, I felt the stress, worry, and sadness shake off of me as I swayed to the different instruments and percussions. When the lights came back on, the music stopped, and something that was so foreign to me appeared on my face, a smile. The happiness that I had rid myself of came rushing back into my blood like a wave crashing on the shore. Once again, I was myself.

Although it may seem silly to someone who cannot see from my point of view, that concert changed not only my attitude that day, but also my life. Hearing the lead singer’s stories of heartbreak and rainstorms that he went through in his life and seeing that at the end of the day he is still doing what he loves and gets through it with a smile, was inspiring. The concert made me realize that no matter how bad a situation may seem or how bad life may seem, one day a glimmer of light will shine through the tunnel and I will find my way through. From that moment on I decided that I needed to live in the moment and take life second by second. Focusing too much on the negativity from the past, prohibits me from seeing the happiness and the blessings in the moment. Before the concert I did not recognize that I was lost, but the melodies and atmosphere made me find myself again.