My dad had the same New Year’s resolution for the last five to ten years of his life. That year would not be the year he started making old man noises as he sat down. Yep, you can hear the noises now, can’t you? Best I could tell, he managed to keep that all the way to the end. The end which was 61, meaning it started around 53.
Here I am at 34 and making my own I’ll Never Get Old resolution. Gross.
This will not be the year I don’t make it to Summerfest.
Sure, the thought of going nine out of ten nights like I did in college makes me slightly ill when I think about all the beer, fried eggplant, and $$ on tickets that would entail. In college, I had a higher tolerance for alcohol and had internships that provided all the tickets I needed. I even got some from Tonic band members when I worked at the Pfister. This year I am taunted by the free ticket Randy got for running the Rock N Sole. It is free; it must be used!
And ah, yes… Randy. See, things like Summerfest are much more fun when you go with the ones that you love. But this one that I love has no interest in going. Dude does not have the Summerfest history that I have (nor can he comprehend that I go for the Saz’s sampler platter and people watching, maybe enjoying concerts secondarily). In short, he would not feel the same rickety-old, ready for the nursing home sensation I would if I missed it.
So I will go. I will go on a Wednesday to miss the large crowds since they now simultaneously repulse and scare me. I was never that drunk in public, nor pushy with strangers, was I? The scared part – well, in this ugly, violence-filled and fame-hungry world we live in, you can’t help but think some wackadoo with a weapon would become legend should he pull it out in the middle of the Miller Stage crowd.
I will enjoy my fried foods and plastic cups of beer and complain how bloated I am the next day.
I will pay the $10 for parking cuz nobody’s got time for the long walk to the free spots.
I will wear semi-sensible shoes and bring a jacket.
Yes, I will be an old fogey, but…
I will also walk by the Major Golsby’s building to play the “I Went to High School With That Guy” game (which is getting more and more tricky the older we get.)
I will stand on a picnic table and flail about when I do find a band that I enjoy.
I will adopt my best linebacker stance and swim upstream in the crowds just to show I’ve still got it.
I will enjoy Milwaukee’s crowning jewel, a night with my friends, the best people watching this side of the state fair, and the fact that I’m still not yet too old for this.
Wish me luck!
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