—Old Memories—
I know it’s hard to believe, but there was a time when Cell Phones didn’t have cameras.
In fact, there was a time when people did not have Mobile Phones.— We called them “Mobile Phones” in the beginning. Just “Mobile” if you were “Cool.”
Example: “You got your mobile on you?” (I always had to borrow someone else’s because I didn’t have one…)
Oh, and it was pronounced “Mo-Bile.”
In other words, when I was a young guy, I didn’t often have a camera to capture moments of my friends and me.
Not unless it was a Special Occasion such as a concert.
For such an occasion, I’d go to the local “Mart” store and either buy a disposable camera or… Buy a camera, keep the receipt, and take it back after the “Event,” and get my money back on it. I know… I was just a kid, though…
The date was November 29th, 1997.
The Place was The “Birmingham Jefferson Civic Center.”
The event was the “Aerosmith Nine Lives Tour.”
I was finally going to get to see “Aerosmith” Live! I was Stoked!
I had “acquired” a camera to take photos of the concert.
I knew I was going to get frisked by security at the entrance, and if they found the camera,… well, I didn’t know what would happen actually.
I was wearing a diaper at this point in my life, and I knew I’d also have to get inside with an extra diaper just in case I needed to use the restroom to change my diaper.
See, I had to hide it because the guys I was going with didn’t know about my Spina Bifida yet. I didn’t “hide” my Spina Bifida in my younger life, but I didn’t talk about it either. And people do assume that you’re NOT wearing a diaper. And, It’s tough to bring up in conversation.
I would usually wear a jacket and put the extra diapers in the arm of the jacket. It’s a good hiding spot. I mean, who feels your arms?
Anyway.
Two of my friends and I got into the concert.
I want to say that we were on the fifth row, but it may have been farther back. I know it was floor tickets and close to the front row.
I was super psyched.
I had already seen Pink Floyd in ’94, and now I was getting to see yet another one of my favorite bands in concert.
One of the first songs I learned to play on the guitar was Aerosmith’s “Dream On.” I loved Old Aerosmith. Much better than the new stuff they were putting out. The “old stuff” was good enough that I forgave them of the “new stuff” they were putting out nowadays.
I was strickly going to hear Aerosmith play their old songs.
Towards the end of the concert, many people made their way close to the front. We were one of the ones that got close. I was getting as close as I could. I wanted to watch “Joe Perry” playing his guitar. And I did.
Close to the end, “Steven Tyler” takes requests from the audience.
I screamed, as loud as I could, “Kings And Queens!”
Mr. Joe Perry himself points at me, looks at Steven Tyler, and repeats, “Kings And Queens.”
Steven Tyler then shouts, “Do it!” They begin playing “Kings And Queens.” I was on cloud nine.
Twenty-Three years later, I run across a roll of film.—I wrote about finding it.
Not knowing what was on it and excited to find it, I hurried it over to CVS to get it developed.
Today I got the film back.
I was shaking while trying to open the film up.
I get it opened, and the memory I just relayed to you came rushing back to me as I looked at pictures from the “Aerosmith Nine Lives” concert of ’97.
