“Not sure I’ll have time, but for 30 euros, I’ll take them.” This was definitely one of the most perplexing requests I had ever gotten on eBay Classifieds. Who asks for concert tickets not knowing whether they’ll be able to go? And who offers 70% less than the asking price while doing so?
I hadn’t exactly willingly listed my fiancée and I’s tickets to an immersive concert performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. I had always wanted to hear the masterpieces live and in full. Alas, after months of looking forward to the event, I had fallen sick and was far from recovered. The tickets had cost over 150 euros. I would have been okay to let them go for 100. But this? 30 euros to give them to someone who might not even go?
I’m not sure whether it was the long anticipation, the fact I thought music might help me heal faster, or an act of defiance against my only and clearly art-disrespecting bid, but in that moment, something snapped. “Screw it,” I said. “Let’s go.” “Are you sure?” my partner asked. “Yeah. Masks up. It’s 43 minutes. We’ll cab there. I’ll be fine.”
Was I in excellent shape to leave the house? Absolutely not. I also wasn’t proud of carrying the risk of infection into a crowded theater. I wore my mask the whole time, drank water, and sucked on one cough drop after the next, and it was still a struggle. Despite all this, however, I was so happy. Happy to finally hear Vivaldi in person for the first time. As per our plan, we took taxis there and back, and the whole thing was through in about two hours. 100% worth it.
Some of the best moments in your life won’t need any more justification other than you really wanting to make them happen. You won’t have good reasons to break your rules. You’ll just know it’s time to do so, and you’ll know you’ll be happy you did even before you take the leap.
Listen inside. Identify those moments. And then enjoy a sick concert.
