The Eagles Concerts

 Many years ago, like 45, for Christmas, I gave a good friend and me two tickets to see The Eagles in Berkley. It was great fun. It was not a last resort. That night, they introduced a new song, I CAN’T TELL YOU WHY. It was Timothy B. Schmit’s first lead in the group. And the moment was not wasted on the audience. It was beautiful.

Fast forward 45 years, after my “skiing incident“, I had the opportunity to go see the Eagles again. I took my husband and two sons. We went to dinner beforehand, and for some reason, my sons and I got the giggles. Boy, did that food taste exceptionally good. IYKYK. That is not really relevant, but oh well.

During the concert, I sang almost every song. So did most of the audience, who were mostly my age. Oh, the fun we used to have at concerts! My sons got a kick out of watching their mother and other senior citizens rock out.

Recognizing Brilliance

This time, there was one song we sang, and its meaning, at least for me, touched me in a different way. I paused, and I realized that I had never realized what the song was about. The next day, I looked up the lyrics, and I was right. I gained a more profound respect for the Eagles. I always considered them great musicians, but their music was much more than that. Many of their songs, have such deep, meaningful messages. I don’t know what the group’s intentions were at the time, but I imagine the current events during the 70s inspired their creativity. They were brilliant.

Without their indulgence, I created a video that, to me, helped tell the story that I imagined. And stories are meant to teach a lesson or instill a value. Unfortunately, we aren’t understanding, accepting or maybe we don’t think it applies to us. No matter how many times life events try to teach us, we can be really stubborn. Humans!

I hope the Eagles don’t mind. And really, they will never hear about it. I am as old as they are. But unlike the never-ending musical tours of our favorite bands, I am becoming increasingly invisible. That is a different story, and one that I have come to appreciate. Obscurity has its advantages. And at this age, bravery isn’t the issue; it’s more about understanding that time is limited, not taking oneself so seriously, and who knows, maybe their songs will touch others the way they do me.

Enlightened?

So, if your peripheral vision has diminished, but your perspective has broadened, good for you. You may appreciate my pedestrian efforts regarding this particular ballad, or not. If not, I care less than I used to, don’t get me wrong, I still care. And that is a good thing.

As we face our individual and collective “Last Resort,” it is worth considering how each of us will justify our actions and reactions to the choices we make and have made. If we are curious, we could discover what those choices should teach us about who we really are, how we really think, and how we really feel—really being the operative word. It requires honesty, and some internal investigation into thinking about how you actually think. Be careful. It might surprise you. That realization might prompt changes, or maybe not. Still, your choice, until it isn’t.

You might still believe that your choices are a private matter, but private matters, whether you like it or not, can and do affect public concerns—something else to think about during our stay at the last resort.

And if the video lags, my apologies. It’ll catch up, eventually.