dayglo eyes

it's taken me over a week to start this post. i knew i'd have no idea where to even begin to convey thrill, the awe and the bliss of the 14th of december in st. louis.

it was a 12-hour day from when i got off the metro downtown at 11:30am until i got back on again at 11:30pm. within that one rotation of the hourhand i not only got to watch and hear my favorite and only band that i've waited eight years (four of which have been painful) to see, i actually got to meet two of the members face to face and another cheek to cheek.

i'll spare you the detailed chronology that filled more than 20 pages of my journal. barbara the cookie lady, lance from arkansas (bless his heart) and the lovely arena security camera-sniffing hounds will all have to be introduced to you over our next cup of coffee. here, you'll get the i-need-to-read-this-quickly-so-i-can-get-back-to-my-work/emails/sandwich/baby's-naptime-activities version.

2:34pm / /
after having just watched the band's vehicles drive into the arena parking lot (i got tipped by a nice security guard, bob, as to when U2 was landing at the airport and, thus, arriving at the venue) i went back to the security post to tell bob that the word he'd received from U2's security was in fact true: the band drove through without stopping. bob wasn't there, so i decided that since the band was definitely inside the venue and there was no getting in there for me (i had been trying for the last 3 hours - with bob and the cookie lady's help), it was a good time for me to grab a bite. i decided to walk to a train-station-turned-mall a couple blocks away (also suggested by bob - my fairy godmother for the day). walking in the direction where i'd seen the band drive in before, i noticed a bunch of fans from before still there. all quiet, but there... then i saw a camera flash go off. and then i started running.

2:36pm / /

i get back to the same place i'd just been standing before and i couldn't believe my eyes: adam, the edge, and bono were all there signing autographs. i squeezed my way up to the steel road barrier/gate that stood between the fans and the band to adam and gave him my little florentine blank book and a pen. i was so shocked that i could barely make my mouth say, "thank you so much." then i moved over to the edge (apparently all the fans around me had already gotten autographs and were just taking pictures. the band was gradually moving away from where i was standing to where the road barrier met the street). i just could not believe he was right there. he was so cool. so sweet-looking. so there. i can't explain the adjustment your eyes and brain make when they see something they've only known in 2D come to 3D and in your reality. it must be like having only drunk apple juice for your whole life and then you actually bite into an apple. suddenly there's the texture, the depth, another flavor and all the muscles and taste buds that can now enjoy the fruit as well.

2:39pm / /

my best had come for last. i made my way past the barrier to the end of where the fans stood and waited for bono who was slowly moving in that direction. i prayed he'd make it to the end.
when he finally arrived and i gave him my ticket stub on top of my book (thank God he wrote in the book and not the ticket), i said, "i came all the way from israel for this concert." "wow, israel..." he said and started writing. i watched him pause after the "r" in "israel" and proceed with an "a" as he asked me, "what's your name?" even though it was surely routine for him to ask (though i didn't see him do it to anyone in that group of people around me), i felt so happy that he asked. it just made me feel like he saw me as a person for one second rather than another nameless face. "negeen. n-e-g-e-e-n" he added it to the top of the autograph and kept writing.... so i thanked him over and over for coming and i told him they need to come to israel. "we need you guys out there." he gave me my book and i said, "can i have a hug." he smiled. "yeah." i put my arms around to his back and felt his hair on my cheek and his jacket under my chin. it was like hugging someone you haven't seen for so long and thanking them at the same time. after that, someone handed him something to sign without a pen and it made him hesitate to give me my pen back. "it's ok. keep it." and that was it. my meeting with one of the greatest musicians and humanitarians (according to this week's Time magazine) whose voice is the blanket of my soul and the band whose music is woven into every significant part of my life.