I’ve been to a lot of concerts. At some point I started collecting my concert tickets to help me remember them, but I’ve never actually looked through the old stubs, so I don’t know accurately how many shows I’ve attended. I haven’t looked through the stubs, because I’ve never needed help remembering them. In fact, I remember my first concert as clearly as I remember the most recent. Some concerts were less memorable than others, but I’m sure if I thought hard enough, I could remember those clearly, too. However, my favorite concerts, the ones that just spring to mind without any concentration at all, do so not because of the great bands, although some of them were great, but for different reasons. I remember them because of the magic of the moment, the perfect slice of time, and because of the people I shared them with.

My sister, Ellen, took me to my first concert. We saw Aerosmith play at a small stadium in Lynn, MA: the Manning Bowl. I was too young to really know music in the way that I do now, and I’m not entirely sure if I even knew who Aerosmith was at the time. I was just happy to spend the day with my sister. We stood in a crowd of people, cheering, and dancing, and singing along. I really felt part of something special and it changed my life forever. I want to take my daughter to her first concert. And I hope she remembers it as sweetly as I remember that day with Ellen.

"Turns out not where but who you’re with. That really matters”
The Dave Matthews Band: The Best of What’s Around

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It’s easy to be a cynic. It doesn’t take long to find people who disappoint: rude, obnoxious, selfish, petty, and quick to take advantage of everyone and every situation. We can encounter the worst in human nature by simply driving in traffic. Add to this the plain fact that life is hard. Sometimes it seems like life is just going to steamroller right over us, and sometimes it actually does. Turn on any news channel and they’ll bombard you with hour after hour of tragedy and failure. Reality shows reward liars, cheats, and back-stabbers. Email phishers, spammers, and scammers will pound your inbox day in and day out trying to hustle you out of your money, credit, or reputation. We’re pounded over the head repeatedly with warnings: don’t open that attachment, don’t talk to strangers, lock your doors, don’t make eye contact. If you always expect the worst, you probably won’t be disappointed. Not only is it easy to be a cynic, sometimes it seems like you’d be a fool not to be.

Don’t buy into it! Don’t take the easy way out! It takes strength to look past all the negative and still see the positive. A real hero knows the consequences and still has the courage to persevere. You can still heed the warnings and lock your doors. You can still enjoy television. You can still raise an eyebrow at the Nigerian banker who got your name from “your country’s trade bureau” and emails you for help smuggling forty-six million unclaimed US dollars out of the country. But, know that there is more to life and have the fortitude to look for it. Don’t give up on life, because life hasn’t given up on you. Don’t fall into the trap of cynicism; cynicism is cowardice.

This site is dedicated to those people who continue to find the good things in life: the people who enjoy life to its fullest, those who make a difference, and those who continue to stand up no matter how many times they are pushed down. These are my heroes. For them, I offer my humble views on life and all the wonderful things that comprise it.