jubilation 145.U2 in Seattle

U2 and I have a complicated relationship that can best be explained through parable. 

  There once was a girl who, during her formative adolescent years, developed a deep and abiding friendship with someone we will call B3.  The girl provided an appreciative listening ear, while B3 provided a safe place for this girl to channel much of her inexpressible and foreign emotions.  B3 was simple, down to earth, passionate, angry, and infatuated with the world......just like the girl.  The girl taped a poster of her friend in her room  and often felt empathy pouring from this portion of the wall. 

 This mostly one-sided relationship continued to grow for several years.  

But then the friend changed.   Or the girl changed.  Or both.   B3 became a little to flashy and self-aware, wanting to please the now millions of other friends that had since been acquired. B3 bought fancy toys to impress his new friends.  The girl grew up and tamed her raw emotions that were the foundation of this relationship.  Whatever the reason doesn't matter.  They grew apart.  The girl no longer gave B3 a listening ear and B3 no longer spoke to the girl's heart.   

So when the girl was given the opportunity to see her old friend again, she wondered if it would be too painful to see B3, to be reminded of what they once had and how far they had grown apart.  But the girl hoped that no matter how much each of them had changed, they would still have the strength of their old memories to bond them, rendering this reunion memorable.   I was right.  I mean, the girl was right.

Plus, it is impossible not to have a great time with my cousin, Marika.  We would have fun together at a farm equipment auction.   

My devotion to U2 lies somewhere in the spectrum between this adoring, weeping fan (above) and this bored to death family (below).

Getting some help from astronaut Kelly in space.......not sure how Bono will ever be able to top this stunt.

We didn't have the best seats for the show, but we did have the best seat for a back view of the Harbor and a front view of Seattle's skyline.

My favorite part was when all the fancy lights were shut down and only the lights from cell phones and lighters could be seen.   Now we were in space and Bono was playing "With or without you."  I was taken back 20 years to a tentless night under a Moab night sky, listening to Joshua Tree on cassette tape,  so seemingly close to the stars that I felt their hot breath on my face.   It was nice to be with my old friend again.