From Then....to Now....to ?

To Lauren - Early on it was Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, then you discovered my generation’s music and now we arrived here……..

My weekend journey started early on a rare Thursday night when I joined my daughter and her boyfriend Brian at an intimate Jack Johnson concert at the Tower Theater in Philly.  Johnson is currently touring in support of his new album From Here to Now to You.  Following in the legendary beach bum footsteps of Jimmy Buffett, Jack Johnson is the new pied piper for legions of Gen Xers.  Many of his songs weave stories of topical social and environmental issues set against a background of pineapples and ocean waves reflecting his Hawaiian island upbringing and surfing lifestyle.  (Hint, hint….)

Tonight, concertgoers ages late teens to early 60-somethings were all looking for ‘escape’ in the form of his quirky, introspective and at times confessional mid-tempo tunes about Banana Pancakes, Red Wine, Mistakes and Mythology, Angels and The Ocean presented in a folk rock/jam band format. 

While Lauren and Brian have seen Johnson in the past, this was my first show.  Earlier this summer, Laur made me a CD of his more popular songs culled from earlier albums to school me on the Hawaiian native’s back catalogue.  It was our big escape from the usual Thursday night ‘blahs’ and the concert did not disappoint!

The evening’s musical vibe allowed my mind to drift in between songs.  While grooving to the infectious beats, I suddenly realized how much I enjoy hanging with these ‘kids’.  In their early twenties, I see flashes of what other adults may have seen in Marie and me when we were this tender age now three decades removed.  Whether it’s surfing with Brian this summer, or dinner and a movie including Marie, their companionship, boundless energy and youthful perspective on life has helped me feel younger than the actual birthday that appears on my current driver’s license. 

In recent months, I’ve marveled on how well they seem to be at planning out this stage of their lives.  While it is apparent they really care for each other, I also notice a sense of purpose and focus that serves as a backdrop to their days of work and play.  They recently vacationed (alone) in Jamaica.  Needless to say that was a big deal for Marie and me!  However, when I questioned Lauren on where they got the money to plan for the vacation, my daughter informed me that they each have been saving for nearly a year to afford the all-inclusive resort.   Thank God – they already seem to know what they want in life and have some good ideas on how they will accomplish these goals!

They both exhibit a sense of maturity and what some call an “old soul” quality of acting and behaving that is years older than their actual age.  Is he the ‘one’?  Will they?  I’m not really sure and I certainly don’t want to rush anything.  Right now, I’m more than content experiencing these rare moments of living in their world and remembering how special that time was for Marie and me! 

For me, tonight was like surfing through the TV channels late at night and stumbling upon some old video of me and Marie in our 20s.  I guess it is called perspective.  We did the same things back then.  Nowadays, Marie and I continue to carve-out “couple time” although at slightly a slower pace than how we used run fearlessly ‘into the night’ in our 20s. 

Even now, I’m recalling a brief moment during one of my favorite Jack Johnson songs (Flake), when I started to reach out to my daughter to give her a grownup “I’m still your Dad” hug, however Brian’s hand was already there.  So, I patiently waited for the concert to end when I was able to give her one of those “that was a cool show, glad we saw it together” hugs before we caught up to Brian a few steps ahead of us. 

It was no doubt a ‘throwaway’ moment for my daughter, quickly lost in her many concert memories by the end of the night, but for me it was one of those gentle ‘changing of the guard’ moments that stayed with me long after the last song was played.

Once again, music marks an exact moment in time in my life.  This time is was music from my daughter’s generation which caused time to stop and forced me to take stock in where I am when the final song ended.   And once again, I got to share my passion of listening to live music with my daughter (and now Brian).

My daughter’s journey with Brian will continue to evolve which will directly impact how my relationship with my wife and our eventual journey of two will continue to develop in these “September of our years”.

The four of us together and individually will continue our own personal journeys....from then to now to?

Run my dear (daughter)

Until we get to the trees

And then keep on going all the way

We’ve got to get right down to the sea

“To The Sea”

Landlocked Philadelphia

September 27, 2013