Most of the time I'd say I wouldn't want to go back to being 16. Not that I had raging acne and mosquito-bite boobs or anything; more like too much boob and a bad perm, but that's another post.
But the other night the Queenager and her friend H went to see Britney Spews in concert. The tickets were free, care of our neighbo(u)r, Mr. Fix-it, so that was a plus 'cause there was no way I was paying $250, and the Q is stock-piling her funds for some future emergency or running-away venture. When we finally got the tickets in the flesh so to speak, there was a loud shriek, the kind normally associated with vampire attacks or tarantulas in the bathroom. I rushed half way up the basement stairs, but stopped short when I heard the all-too-familiar "OMG, OMG" followed quickly by the baby-elephantine sounds of a teenager jumping up and down on the spot - in glee.
The seats, we discovered, were "on the floor" of a circular seating arrangement, right next to the VIP section. OMG! When her friend arrived to pick her up, there was more screaming and jumping up and down on the spot (in glee) while friend's mother and I tried to remind them not to go to the bathrooms alone, watch their drinks etc. etc. (Turns out this was all unnecessary as the only guys there weren't remotely interested in 16 year old females.)
They texted all their friends on the way to the arena, texted me once they had found their spots, "OMG you should see how close we are to the stage", and texted half way through the concert "This is my best night EVER". The Ball & Chain picked them up at 11pm, and they phoned again - although they were so excited I couldn't hear a word they were shrieking. Despite the fact that they had school next morning, they were so buzzed when they got home, they didn't go to sleep till about 1am.
Once I managed to wake them (with the aid of very loud 5 year old) they smiled and smiled, complained of sore throats - and declared "it was worth it".
That part of sixteen I would do again - totally! Don't you love teenage girls? When they haven't gone off the rails that is.
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*sigh* I remember those days...not very well, but I remember them. Glad she had a good time!
ReplyDeleteOh God, can't wait...
ReplyDeleteLove this post. One of the great trials of parenthood - the concert. I remember taking my 7-year old son to see Hulk Hogan "wrestle". It was the screaming that I will never forget. Keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteEFH
Well, I was a sad dull teenager, and never into stuff like this. I look back and think I was rather repressed and missed out. I think it was horribly over-sensitive self-consciousness that did it. I was so scared of doing or saying the wrong thing and not fitting in, that I did nothing.
ReplyDeleteCan't believe I'm confessing this in a public forum.
Oh..... I remember getting worked up about seeing Tommy Steel and Marty Wild!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't go back to that though!
Glad your queenager had a good, safe time.
Ah, but when 16's turn 17, something happens...they go crazy...for real...that's the age I wouldn't be again, lol! I can't even remember BEING 17...so what happened? I don't want to know...
ReplyDeleteGlad your Queen and Lady in Waiting had a grand time!
Sandi
it was the Police for me- good old Sting!
ReplyDeleteAh, I took The Youngest and a friend of hers to see the Spice Girls last year, were equally close to the front, and they screamed the whole way through. Neither of them were actually alive when Girl Power originally (and briefly) took over the world...
ReplyDeleteI also remember those days, I was a big concert go-er living so close to Wembley. This whole post made me just smile.
ReplyDeleteOMG! OMG! I'm with you wouldn't go back to being 16 for love nor money. I had the bad perm and some wierd desire to wear 3 inch stilettos. However, I loved going to the concerts and that whole feeling that your 16 year old experienced last night.
ReplyDeleteAh, the "Teenager Shriek." My offspring were all of the male variety so I never became inured to it and, whenever I hear it (even if it is a block away), it makes me cringe.
ReplyDeleteI loved being that age. For me (sadly) it was New Kids on the Block, hee hee. But the memories are just the best. :D
ReplyDeleteyes, that's the stuff I miss about been a teen. That, and that feeling of butterflies in my stomach every time the boy I liked looked at me.
ReplyDeleteYeah, but in my case, he was usually looking at me as if thinking "What's she looking at me for?". Sniff.
ReplyDeleteWow, how fun! I hope my daughter will let me go with her when she's 16.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess "spews" isn't a typo?!
D'you know what? I'm almost jealous. Just to feel that excited again... Those were the days hey?! Glad she had a great time! x
ReplyDeleteI spent my teenage years like Iota!
ReplyDeleteI did go to a David Essex concert with my sister. I remember my mother throwing us out of the car in the middle of Liverpool after the concert and driving off, leaving us standing on the pavement. We had refused to stop arguing - my sis had wanted to go to the stage door after the show, and me (sensible older sister) had said no, there was no point. Mum circled the block and came back. We drove home in silence.
I tagged you for a meme at my blog BTW.
omg omg omg I'm with Lakeland Girl, it was Sting for me too.
ReplyDelete"too much boob and a bad perm"
you definitely need to write a book with this title
Thanks AA. Great story about you and your sis. Sounds a bit like my house in the teen years. My mother (trying to introduce some culture in the house) took us to see Derek Jacobi playing Hamlet (my A level play). In one of his speeches to Ophelia, he lapsed into a rendition of his I Claudius character (if you remember the terrible speech impediment), and my sister and I could NOT control our giggles. My mother was mortified.
ReplyDeleteOh to feel such excitement. I know what you mean. By the way, I've tagged you so come on over.
ReplyDeleteOops! How embarrassing! Just saw your previous post. Never mind.
ReplyDeletesix months ago I started leading a small group of 10 14year-olds. It's crazy. It was quite surreal to hear them scream "He's SO SEXY" at the screen when we watched Zac Efron in High-School Musical III. I'm thinking... girl, you have no idea was sexy is. :)
ReplyDeleteIt's very fun, just also very emotional.
Ha ha - for me it was David Cassidy (!) and my daughter Bare Naked Ladies! Are you sure they didn't say " it was soooo worth it!" :) What fun
ReplyDeleteam afraid that I didn't do nearly enough squealing when I was 16, I'm sure it hadn't been invented or something. Sounds fun though. Despite Britney.
ReplyDeleteAnd how come everyone's getting so techo-savvy all of a sudden? what's with the links at the bottom?
yours, permanently bewildered