Hi.
See... I saw Coldplay last night.
Coldplay is my band. Not to say that it is no one else's. Coldplay is everyone's but not everyone accepts Coldplay. What I mean is that Coldplay's music is the music that defines moments for me. When I struggled, I Coldplayed. When I celebrated, I Coldplayed. When I didn't know what to do, I Coldplayed. So, seeing them live has been basically a lifetime goal of mine.
I got to go yesterday.
I was exhausted from driving, being sick, and eating a giant pretzel so I had zoned out for a bit while the opening band played. Then, though, they played some Jay Z while the roadies were doing their business and of course my shoulders started bumpin' and my hips started swayin' and my eyes started bulgin' (it's weird but it happens). So, I was awake and happy, then a classical song came on. I don't know the name of it, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't Jay Z. These two songs set the tone for the night. It was sheer brilliance to start the night that way.
THEN, "Life in Technicolor" could be heard slowly building in volume, the lights went out, and four figures happily skipping and dancing behind a screen could be seen. I IMMEDIATELY stood up, put my hands to my face, and cried like I was having a baby... which in a sense I was. They hadn't said/sung a word and were only figures behind a screen, but they immediately reached me, impregnated me, and told me they would be there for the delivery.
I say things.
I cried the entire first half of the show. What was more amazing is that I wasn't even thinking. My mind was completely speechless. I was completely unaware of myself. Only Coldplay can do that for me.
Seeing the concert, enjoying Chris Martin's perfect sense of humor, seeing the passion of the band, and feeling myself cry for an hour made the night life-altering.
I'm one of those people that over-thinks everything! I worry and stress and self-judge so much. I have doubts that anyone is really capable of love. I doubt the presence of "good" in people. Sometimes I think we are all just selfish, but because we are all this way we are too selfish to notice everyone else not caring about us. I see the horrible things we do to animals and the planet and feel that humans are incapable of TRUE selflessness. It is as if humans will sacrifice things when it makes a big gesture and gets us credit. But, when the sacrifice is something that affects our daily lives and will be less noticed, then we deem it ridiculous and going against "human nature."
Human nature... what the fuck does that even mean???
This concert though brought out a completely uncritical me. My heart was exposed and I felt that love is real and attainable for me. I still think people have a great distance to go before we can claim to be the "higher beings," but for that night I could feel the energy that bonds us all together and could lead to great things. We need to find the universal Coldplay that brings out this sense of unity and love within all of us. If we stop seeing him as a democrat, her as a republican, him as a Jew, her as a dance,dance,revolution superstar, then we can see this amazing group of beings-humanity- as something we are all a part of. You are a part of something great. I am a part of something great. Look at all humanity has done. We are each a part of that (good and bad). Own that, and we can see that all people (from prisoners to kings) are with us. Maybe then, we can understand each other.
Do I think it is possible to reach Utopia? I never did, but last night changed something for me.
"They are turning my head out, to see what I'm all about. Keeping my head down, to see what if feels like now, but I have no doubt. Someday the sun will come out."
Oh and just because I am eating meat right now does not mean I have forgotten how much I despise the meat industry.
I understand meat-eaters much more now. I, though, still fight for a new meat industry that supports the health of its consumers and avoids all torture. Utopia will be a world without torture. Death will be a part of life, but suffering wont.
Obama.. do you agree? I hope so.