Journey concert is a coming out of sorts

I went to a rock concert! A real, live rock concert! It’s been ages! Little old me, out after dark doing grown up things!

My friend Beth Hillyer invited me to see Journey. I don’t actually love going to crowded things, so I generally avoid concerts, New Year’s Eve, and Foodland the day before Superbowl. However, I happen to be at a place in my life where I’d like some social stimulus, and I do love Beth.

Beth and me

Then I realized I have no idea how to act anymore. I’m out of practice for doing cool things.

“What shall we wear?” I gasped excitedly while fluttering my hands in the air. “Should we go ’80s retro or sassy tart?”

Beth has the incredible skill of sunny nonchalance for everything. She spent years in TV news at KHON, KHNL (where we met), and KTVX (Utah), before leaving her career to raise two sons. Everything about a life in 1) news, 2) boys, is preparation for not being fazed at anything odd or crazy. 

She totally blew past my suggestion of dressing like strumpets as if it were just any old thing I said, and instead, decided, “Let’s just go as middle aged housewives, like we are.”

She is honestly the kind of person who wouldn’t bat an eyelash if I announced, “I’m just going to sport this newly bedazzled Jane Fonda-esque aerobics thong onesie and nothing else to this concert.” Beth would say something like, “Oh, Sweetie. That seems a bit drafty.”

So, jeans and a sensible bra it is. 

Secondly, I thought about how loud it might be. I don’t like loud things, so I planned to bring little foam earplugs and discreetly insert them while nobody is looking. 

These are bright yellow and pink, the kind distributed in buckets at construction sites so everyone can stay OSHA compliant. I think my long hair will hide the earplugs, and maybe people will be too drunk to put together that the  fluorescence around my ear area is dorky earplugs.

“Why don’t you just bring your Bose Noise-Cancelling Headset?” snarked my husband. Whatever, Claus. When we’re 80 and I’m not constantly asking you to repeat what you said, I will have the last laugh.

As it turns out, I had so carefully readied three pairs (me, Beth, a spare)… and then forgot them conveniently on the table at home. 

Thirdly, I decided I need to nap before I go out, because I am on a very slooooow pace these days. It wasn’t very long ago my body was all screwed up from early shift work and immense personal stress.

The day of the concert, I attended yoga – no, make that SENIOR yoga – so I got a light but ample workout for the day, and then napped before my daughter finished school. 

“The concert starts at 8 p.m. Are you sure you’re going to be OK?” Beth asked me like, 12 times in one conversation. “Because I know you were so tired for so long.”

“I’m sure! I’m kind of OK now! I’d like to go out and have fun again!” I insisted. 

Yes, when I was working, I would go to sleep at 6:30 p.m., and for months after, I was still down by 8:30. I’m somewhere in the 9 o’clock hour these days which I guess puts me back at normal-ish. Apparently, Beth’s on the same sleep schedule – she goes down in the 9 p.m. hour.

So we went to the concert and we had a great time. Everything was perfect, even if I forgot the earplugs. We both agreed this is the biggest night out we’ve had in years – like, in our children’s entire lives. (Don’t feel sorry for us. It’s all a give and take, and the balance will shift again one day.)

As it turns out, Beth is in the same housewife-mommy/no-adult-social-life place that I am, and we both felt liberated at our big night out. My kid is nine. Hers are eight.

“We’re bad ass!” we kept congratulating each other over every little success. Here’s the interesting thing about depravity: when you don’t have something for soooo long- the better part of a decade- it feels all the more incredible when you taste it again, even if briefly and for one night.

As follows, the list of simple pleasures that the young and/or childless may take for granted:

Driving AWAY FROM our suburb at night: “Look at us!”
Finding street parking in the first ten seconds of trying: “We’re so amazing!”
Walking to the Blaisdell Arena: “This is awesome! It’s DARK out!”
Not even talking about our kids ONCE that night: “We need to do this regularly!”

I’ve decided the Journey concert is my new all-time favorite, as much for the music as for the coming out it represented for us. Beth and Diane: Moms Who Dare Go Out At Night.

Be warned, Honolulu. We are ready to be semi-awesome again, from sunset all the way until 9:30 p.m.

Hours of awesomeness: Fridays or Saturday nights, once per quarter, sunset until 9:30 p.m. Occasional weeknights as determined on a case-by-case basis. Holidays and school breaks excluded. Blackout periods apply.

Author(s) on this Post

Diane Ako

Peace of mind By Diane Ako I like to reflect on life. Sometimes it’s philosophically. Sometimes it’s humorously. For all its beauty, life is far too difficult a journey to take alone. You need the support and connection with others to help carry you along the way. Writing brings me that connection– within and without. It clarifies my thoughts and feelings. It helps me reach out to others for advice, wisdom, or feedback. Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become you. A wise yogi- Patanjali- said, “Speak what is true. Speak what is pleasant.” Let’s speak of things pleasant to one another and seek some peace of mind along the way. ABOUT Diane Ako joined Hawaii: In Real Life in October 2016. She likes being part of a community of local bloggers – people who like writing and sharing, like she does. Ako is an anchor/ reporter at Island News (KITV4 – ABC) in Honolulu. She previously anchored and reported at KHON2 (FOX) and KHNL (NBC), and at stations in California, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania. She freelance writes for NMG Network's magazines. In between news jobs, in 2017, she launched and ran her own p.r. company, Diane Ako PR. From 2010-2014, she headed the public relations department at Halekulani Corporation, which oversees luxury resort Halekulani and boutique hotel Waikiki Parc. She’s been blogging since 2009 – before Hawaii: IRL, she wrote for The Honolulu Star-Advertiser, the state’s largest daily newspaper, where her stories garnered a dozen journalism awards and an Emmy nomination. Ako has a BA in Communications from Menlo College and an MA in Political Science from University of Hawaii at Manoa. She volunteers as a board member of the Honolulu Gay & Lesbian Cultural Foundation, a Shinto shrine maiden at Daijingyu Temple, a citizen-scientist studying shrimp, and a yoga teacher at a senior center.

Diane Ako has 274 posts and counting. See all posts by Diane Ako

5 thoughts on “Journey concert is a coming out of sorts

  • February 27, 2017 at 1:08 am
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    I went to the Blaisdell last year for the UB-40 concert w/ my mother and it was a BLAST to say the least. I got to hear as much as 6 of my favorite hits from UB-40 themselves. I was debating about going to the concert again this year, but opted not to. I was also thinking about going to the Journey concert since there are at least 3 hits from Journey that I like and know. “Wheel in the Sky” and “Don’t Stop Believin'” are 2 examples. Which ones are your favs, Diane?

    Reply
    • February 27, 2017 at 7:57 am
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      I love Faithfully, Don’t Stop Belivin’, and Open Arms, but they have so many hits it was like one big sing along all night! I bet UB-40 would have been great too.

      Reply
      • February 27, 2017 at 8:42 pm
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        Nice! I’ve heard all 3 myself on Krater 96.3, but Open Arms isn’t one of my personal favorites (not really sure why). Not sure what you think of Wheel in the Sky (permitting they played it).

        Reply
  • February 27, 2017 at 11:33 pm
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    100% less coming out than I expected…

    Reply
    • March 8, 2017 at 7:44 am
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      courde – What did you expect! LOL. Yeah my neighbor asked me if “late” was coming home at 1? I said no. He goes, “3 am?” I’m like, NO, Ben, 11 pm!

      Reply

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