heels...both a blessing and a curse

its amazing that us girls still decide to wear those things. sure...they're dressy and cute and all that jazz, but i'll be honest: they hurt like crazy. i typically don't wear heels over 2.5 inches or so. although i do have a pair that i wore to prom thats about three...i didn't make it an hour into the dance and i haven't worn them since. you see, the higher the heel, the faster the pain in your foot becomes unbearable. the pain basically increases exponentially. i have a pair of those flip-flop heels (about a half inch high) and they even hurt after a while.

so, in a whirlwind of getting readiness, i made the rash decision of wearing heels. yes, despite the imminent pain they will inflict, i decided to wear them downtown to the all-american rejects (who i will henceforth call aar) concert. why? because its my birthday and i wanted to look cute, darn it. not that i'm any less cuter without heels (ha!).

we showed up about an hour before the concert started and waited in line. i had bought my ticket online and i was occupying my time by re-reading the print-out ticket.

along with this email confirmation, you must bring a picture id and credit card you purchased the tickets with.

since purses (another blessing/curse for a female) are such a hassle to bring downtown, i grabbed all the things i thought i would need. my license, a little cash, my keys, cell phone, and the print out ticket. the credit card had totally slipped my mind. i was on the verge of freaking out...but of course, retained my grace and poise. i held my breath and watched what the bouncer was asking for when people went to claim their tickets. print out, name, id...nope, didn't ask for credit card! whew. dodged that one. praise God.

we lingered toward the front, trying to steak out our spot for the concert. as we looked around, we noticed that, although we were about ten feet back from the stage, we could see over most everyone's head. thats kinda odd. there were a few really tall figures...some balding...or gray hair. then we realized it. this was an all ages show. all the people in front of us had to be middle schoolers...the tall guys, their parents. great. way to ruin the atmosphere. not that i have anything against my elders, its just kinda hard to rock out when you've got a guy who is over twice your age standing there stoically with his arms crossed. those under 18 had to have a parent with them. scanning the edge of the room, i could see parents sitting on the couches against the walls reading their newspapers and what not. everyone of them had a child to claim.

trying to overlook this downer, we tried to not be bothered by the kids trying to squeeze themselves into spaces where there was no more room...pushing and shoving to get the best view possible. at that point, my feet were beginning to hurt and the concert hadn't even started yet. finally, the first band gets on stage. i'm not too sure what i thought of them...although i don't think the vibes were good. the lead singer was a little too feminine in his movements for me...and the way he talked, as well. he would do this prancey thing around the stage with his guitar and stuff...anyway, not a good image to have forever in my mind now. out of the corner of my eye, i spotted bryan, my ta for political science. that was pretty random, but he came over and we talked in between bands. the next band was action action. a bit screamy, but i could make do.

however, the middle schoolers, at this point, were getting on my last nerve. they were squealing at a pitch so high, it was prolly the last decibel that the human ear could hear. no, that wasn't a big deal. it was the attempt at mosh pitting. rather than the simple vertical up and down jumping, they decided to throw themselves left and right and up and down and every which way into everyone else around them. i'm sure it was great fun for them, but they kept slamming into me (i almost fell over twice) and stepping all over my feet. needless to say, it wasn't so fun to me. i was seriously debating whether or not to step on their feet with my heels...makeshift weapons of defense. that would have put a stop to things really quick (of course, thats something i could only fantasize about). when you would shove the mass of kids off you, they'd just bounce off the other side and come right back at you. it was ridiculous. after awhile, i decided to defend myself my my elbows, rather than my heels. the kids that were getting slammed into me got the idea and acted as bumpers...so i didn't really get the full blow.

it was still pretty rough, though, and after awhile bryan offered to switch places with me, a proposition which i gladly accepted. the mosh madness finally died down when action action left the stage and bryan and i talked some more. when aar was about to get on, the middle schoolers in the back suddenly decided that they'd weasle their way to the front. you give yourself an inch between you and the person in front of you, and they see it as "room". no, you cannot wedge yourself there...thats breathing room. more pushing and shoving by obnoxious people, but aar finally began playing. some taller people had managed to get in front of me...but because i wore my heels, i could see over their heads still. the feet hurt, but at least i could see.

it was awesome. everyone knew all the words and sang along. i was in a really good mood then. thankfully, everyone did the appropriate up and down jumping to display their enthusiasm. i couldn't really jump along, since i was wearing heels and you don't jump in heels. besides the insertion of the f-word randomly and the crazy middle schoolers, the concert was a blast. at one point, the bass player tossed a water bottle into the crowd and i got "famous" water all over my face...kinda gross to think about, actually.

well, the show ended before midnight...which is quite crazy when you're a college student and accustomed to concerts not ending until about 2 am. we hung around and i decided i was going to meet them. i got a picture with the drummer and another group picture with the lead singer. (which was taken exactly at midnight...MY BIRTHDAY!) i'll post them asap...that is, when i get them from allison. super exciting, eh?

by the time we left, my feet were in complete pain. but then again, i did have a great view of the stage with an extra few inches. sadly, the aar did not sing a personal happy birthday song to me...but i was just as happy to get a picture with them.