30 Seconds To Mars

I haven't posted in yonks again.
Whoops.

Things have been busy, there's been illness, appointments, yadda yadda.

I'm writing now, though, and I've a bit of time free, so we might even get a double post tonight. Who knows?

The other night, Wheelz and I went out. Like, out out. Months ago, we booked tickets for a band that we both love, 30 Seconds to Mars.
The concert was on Thursday.
As with any outing that Wheelz and I go on, there's always a lot of planning and prepping involved. We bought disabled tickets in the wheelchair space, so that Wheelz wouldn't have to conquer any stairs. We prepaid for parking, specifically on the right floor to be able to walk right into the arena. We prepped Lil Monster on staying home by herself for the first time - we figure that, being as she turns fourteen in two weeks, she should be able to handle it. Still, I was fussing like a mother hen. I briefed her on the contents of the fridge, so that she could get herself dinner. I wrote down phone numbers for anyone that she could conceivably need to contact (two aunts, my grandmother, a friend of Wheelz's). I figured if there was an emergency, she should be able to remember 999.

The drive in was fine. We found parking pretty easily.
We initially parked further away, but spotted a better space nearer the entrance. So I - me- I reversed our mini 4x4 out of the space, drove to the new space, and reverse parked it where we wanted it.
I know that's probably quite a small achievement, but it felt huge. I've not felt able to drive for about a year now, as my anxiety just made it too insurmountable. But I did it! I moved our car, on my own, with no one there to take the wheel if anything went wrong.
I was sweating profusely and my breathing was shallower than I'd have preferred, but I did it!

We made our way in, and were searched - apparently this is a new thing that Arena Birmingham are doing -  before heading to our seats. I had kind of forgotten what it can be like, trying to get through crowds of people with the wheelchair. Some people are understanding, and will step aside for us. Others will stand resolutely in our way, forcing us to have to swerve through tight spaces, for no other reason than their own amusement. We eventually made it to our seats, got comfortable and took the requisite 'night out' selfie.

One of the things I'd been looking forward to was seeing a friend of mine there. We don't see each other much, due to my job, her job and our distance from one another. But we knew that we were both there, and kept an eye out for one another. We didn't actually get the chance to speak; she was standing, and spaces were at a real premium, but we did see each other. It's funny how such a small interaction made me so pleased.

The set itself was electric.
I'm not, as a rule, a huge fan of live music. I typically find it too loud, the environment can feel too close. I've only managed it for two bands so far; 30 Seconds to Mars, and Fall Out Boy.
But it was incredible. There were hundreds of people, so caught up in the music and having an amazing time. I got to hear some of my favourite songs, some of their new songs. It was just utterly fantastic.

The sad thing about concerts, though, is that they're fairly short.
You get this incredible high whilst you're there, and they're on stage. You feel completely at one with the people around you. You don't feel outside, or awkward because pretty much everybody there is there for the same reason as you; to enjoy the music.

And then it ends.

That euphoria follows you for the rest of the night.
Or, if you're Wheelz, you end up with what I've termed a 'concert hangover'. Unfortunately, Jared Leto's language seems to have rubbed off on her, and she's spent the last two days calling everyone a motherfucker.

For Wheelz and I, these nights out are rare.
They're expensive, there's a lot of stress involved in getting there, we usually have to find a babysitter.
And so, to us, they're special. We usually manage it once a year, maybe twice if we're lucky.
I treasure those nights out with Wheelz. Because for just one night, we get to be ourselves. We are able to ignore the bounds of disability, and mental health, and just be two best friends, having the time of our lives.

I have no idea when we'll next be able to arrange it.
I do know, that by the time our next concert reveals itself to us, Lil Monster will be old enough to join us.
I wonder if it will be the same?