Alternate title: How living in Durham stole my adolescence
When I was in eight grade, Hootie and the Blowfish was THE hotness. There was no band hotter. People swooned as they performed all over the country.
They came to Raleigh and I somehow talked my mom into purchasing me third row tickets. It was going to be the experience of a lifetime.
Unfortunately, I had a little issue. I technically lived in Durham. All my classmates lived in Hillsborough. This meant every time I called one of my classmates, it was long distance.
One day, my parents received a $200 phone bill. Needless to say, they were a little, ummm, pissed.
After a lot of yelling (theirs) and a lot of crying (mine), I promised to never do it again. “If you do,” my mom threatened, “There will be no Hootie and the Blowfish!”
Well, I intended to keep my promise. I really did. But there were plans to be made, outfits to be planned, teachers to make fun of….
I knew the bill was going to be high. Astronomically so.
My parents live down a long, dirt road. I kept anxiously watching the mail box at the end of the road for the bill. My plan was to intercept it and hold onto it until after the concert. I could take my punishment then. And it almost worked.
One evening, my mom and I walked to the mailbox and she told me to get the mail. I did, leaving a critical piece of mail in the box. I planned to come back later and retrieve the mail. Well, about a half hour later my grandfather showed up to surprise us with dinner. He also decided to bring our mail.
“You only got one thing,” he said. “Sorry it’s just the phone bill.”
My parents exchanged a “We’re going to beat the hell out of her” look as I ran from the room. After Granddaddy left, we sat down to review the $350 bill. “There is only way to resolve this,” Mom decided. “We are going to sell your Hootie tickets to pay for the bill.”
I don’t know if I was in denial or just incredibly spoiled, but I just knew she didn’t mean it. These tickets were precious to me. My mom would NEVER do that.
Well, she did. She placed an ad in the Herald Sun, made me go with her to meet the sellers and tormented me the night of the concert. “I bet if you were there, you would be so close to Darius Rucker, he could spit on you.”
Well, 15 years later, I finally get my chance to see Darius. He is opening for Brad Paisley tomorrow night in Roanoke. I’ve heard he plays the Hootie classics.
Even though we have the cheap seats and I doubt anyone except drunk girls in cowboy hats will spit on me, I look forward to indulging my 14 year old self.
(in my best scooby doo villian voice) and I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you dang kids... lol
ReplyDeleteHave fun! I remember when they came to Wingate in the Fall of 1994 they were the biggest thing going -- just hit No. 1 with "Hold My Hand" and had been on Letterman the previous week.
ReplyDeleteSorry I am late replying to your comments.
ReplyDeleteFrank, that is what I thought when I was writing! I would have gotten away with it.....if it was for my pesky grandfather!
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I did have fun! You must always rub it in about the Hootie Concert, dontcha? :)