I went back to MSG
I bought tickets to a comedy show hosted by Jon Stewart & Pete Davidson in honor of the families of the victims of 9/11. The lineup promoted was insane - Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Amy Schumer, Wanda Sykes, Jimmy Fallon, and a bunch more. When I saw the lineup, I was immediately reminded of the Rainforest Concert hosted by Sting and his wife Trudie. The year you took me, Sting, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, Will Ferrell and a few more amazing artists performed. I had no idea Will Ferrell could sing! I was also blown away by Lenny Kravitz’s sex appeal. And who could forget our surprise guest, Russell Crowe.
I was prepared to pay $300 each for the tickets. I braced myself when the clock struck 12 and the pre-sale tickets became available. The cheapest seats were…$70! I sprung for the $90 tickets and honestly should have gone up another level in price. To support the victims of the families of 9/11 means a lot, and I hope to attend a show one day that supports the victims of the families impacted by COVID. But, there’s probably way too many of us. You got a piece of mail at the old house that was asking you to donate money to the families of 9/11. I screamed at the mail that you couldn’t help the families impacted by 9/11 because you were dead from COVID.
9/11 and COVID are not the same thing and don’t need to be compared. I feel a different closeness though to people who lost someone from a public and known tragedy that is highly covered by the news. It is different when people feel like they know a lot about the loss and are connected to it. All I know is that I still think about the families of the victims of 9/11 20 years later and I am happy to spend my money to support those families.
The show was at Madison Square Garden, your home away from home. To be there again for the first time since you’ve passed was pretty challenging. Just writing the words Madison Square Garden caused a heaving cry. But it still means a lot to be somewhere you’ve loved, as hard as it may be. The show was great and I honored your memory by reporting two people to security who were being obnoxious. You would have done the same.
Dad, I look for you everywhere I go. I try to bring you with me whenever I can. It’ll never be enough, but it is something and I’ll take what I can get.
