Last week Jared and I went to "The Black Keys" concert! It was soooo good, their band only consists of two members (for the majority of their songs--their newer album has two extra members added on!), lead guitarist and vocals and a drummer. When I went online to get the tickets a couple of months ago I couldn't order any, but it didn't say anywhere that they were sold out. I wasn't giving up until I had tickets or found out for sure that they were actually sold out, so I phoned ticket master. The same thing happened when I tried to order the tickets on the phone except their was another option, the recording said to push 2 if you had any questions or needed further assistance, so I pushed 2! Here I was able to talk to a live person not a recording and I asked her for two tickets to "The Black Keys". She looked to see what was available and finally said there were two seats available in the wheelchair section. I asked her if we would need a wheelchair to sit in this section, she said no but there is only one seat! I told her I would take them! Well, the day of the concert finally came and Jared felt very strongly that we really should take a wheelchair just in case we were questioned and to have somewhere to sit!
Are we ever glad that we did take the wheelchair, our seats were not just at the end of a row but in a section specifically for people in wheelchairs, it was just a big space with no seats except for about 8 folding chairs leaning against the wall, if we were there to see a hockey game our section reminded me of the spot the players would sit for a penalty, we were right off the floor, a couple of steps up! I hadn't thought about how I would feel sitting in a wheelchair when I had no reason to, but I didn't think it would bother me at all to do it, until I got into it that is! I wouldn't say that I felt silly but I did feel like everyone was looking at me wondering why I was in a wheelchair. I couldn't believe how nice people were though, Jared got so many smiles and people instantly apologized if they felt like they were in our way! We didn't take advantage of having handicap status, it just seemed like people felt the need to give us special treatment. We waited in line like everyone else to get through security only we didn't have to empty out our pockets, they just sort of felt around our legs and let us through the gate. While we were in line to buy t-shirts, the man selling them saw us and waved us up to the front. I can't really say that it is a line, because everyone just sort of crowds the t-shirt tables and waits until they are motioned forward, in all honesty though, we were a little ways back when we were motioned forward! When we were leaving the concert one of the security guards asked us how we liked the show, he was very friendly. I just kept wondering what people were thinking when they saw us, much the way I think when I see young people or people who physically look fine but are in a wheelchair. The experience really gave me a deeper form of empathy towards those who do not have the full use of their bodies or their minds. And going in the wheelchair, a wheelchair that Buck found in the dump for us when Jared broke his knee, was totally worth the experience of a fantastic concert! I love going to concerts with Jared, his deep love for music jumps right out of his skin when he is surrounded by the loud heart thumping sound of good rock and roll!
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