PART ONE: The Wednesday Wisdom Advice
“Don’t wait—if you have something to say to somebody, say it now.”
The words above were uttered by Sir Paul McCartney last night at his concert at Verizon Center in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C. He was making reference to his friend, John Lennon, and regrets he had about not saying words he wanted to say to him before John’s untimely death. Regret is a tough thing to live with, for sure, and Sir Paul was sharing his own very personal account and wishing things had turned out differently.
But it’s not too late for us if we heed the advice. We hear this type of advice a lot from people, even from huge celebrities. Maybe it’s time to actually do it.
Before it’s too late.
PART TWO: The Concert
Last night was the second time my husband and I saw Paul McCartney, and both times we caught his concert at Verizon Center. While his voice may have been a little raspier at his young age of 74, it still was exceptional. He played a lot of Beatles numbers, along with some Wings tunes, songs from some of his newer records, and even a tune that was pre-Beatles. To sit and watch a legend at work still is amazing to me. His songwriting, singing, and instrumental abilities are beyond comprehension, and he played for almost two hours and forty-five minutes.
What’s ever-charming about McCartney is his humility; he is humble and kind. He brought two women with signs up on the stage at the end of the night, and both of them had him autograph their bodies. The first woman had him sign her shoulder; the second younger girl, asked him to complete her tattoo on the side of her rib cage. Apologizing to his wife who was in the audience, he did so, in very good humor. He also teasingly asked a gentleman who was holding up a sign that read “108 shows” if he knew his behavior was “a little obsessive.” The crowd got a charge out of that.
At the concert.Another aspect I loved about the concert was that McCartney made no political references or took any stances—even in Washington, D.C., which is typically a pulpit for acts and celebs to spew their political beliefs. I loved that McCartney did not get embroiled in any of that last night. He kept political comments out of his show, which was entirely refreshing.
But overall, the amazing thing about McCartney is that he gives it his all, and he tells us stories from his past along the way; his passion is not difficult to see. From his interactions with the fans, the band, and the music, McCartney’s talent is one we want shared until he can bear it no longer. He still has so much to give, and we appreciate all of it.
xx |
Stephanie Verni is the author of Baseball Girl, Beneath the Mimosa Tree, and the co-author of Event Planning: Communicating Theory and Practice.
