The National play a song called England. It’s the type of song that penetrates your heart when you listen. I’m not a snob when it comes to music, I mean, Taylor Swift has seen us through many a road trip.
🎶
But I do love music that moves me.
🎵
Literally I like to jerk around like a toddler at sea. I’m a mom now, so I can. I don’t give two sh*ts what people think of how I move my body when I listen to music.
🎶
Also I love to sing. Singing is a release for me. I belt my heart out whenever I have the chance. In my car. In a bar. With a fox. In a box. It’s one of my signature mom-you’re-embarrassing-me moves.
🎵
Last night, thanks to my mom who babysat, we went to Prospect Park to see The National.
🎶
We’re pretty new to NY, so every time we go out it’s exciting and fresh. We hadn’t seen live music in years.
🎵
With the exception of more stylishly dressed newborns wearing chic noise-blocking headphones and brand-new moms wearing everything but maternity jeans, nothing had changed.
🎶
People showed up ready to be entertained. The band did not disappoint.
🎵
We lounged on my trusty UCSB jersey-cotton blanket. This blanket pre-dates Steve and may become a family heirloom if Hennie’s lucky.
🎶
About 1.5 hours in, when the rain started to pummel down, we were covered. Positioned directly under the leaf-laden branches of two trees—we stayed dry. Until the rain didn’t let up and we got soaked.
🎵
Our tarp (which was protecting the UCSB blanket from the damp grass) quickly became our shelter. Draped over us, the makeshift umbrella let the music in but kept the rain out, for the most part.
We kissed under the tarp. Like the 20-somethings making out around us, we kissed.
🎶
Well, maybe it wasn’t like them, ours was more like lingering pecks. Definitely less PDAg (public displays of ass grabbing). But our stolen kisses under the blue tarp expressed love and remembering and passion. 🎵
The band never did play England. But it didn’t matter. Because under that tarp, with the cold rain occasionally streaming into my boots, I had everything I needed.
🎶
Cheers to live music.
