“Out There” by Samantha E

     When high school is over and everybody has gone their separate ways, all I want is for people to remember me as that one girl who loves The Beatles. For anybody who doesn’t know who The Beatles are, well they are an old, British, rock n roll band. The date was August 10, 2014, the day my life was changed forever. Let me start from the beginning. I grew up listening to classic rock music and I just fell in love with these four boys from Liverpool; John Lennon, George Harrison, Sir Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr. Sadly, John and George are no longer with us, but their music still lives on. Their music really helped me in hard times and to see either Sir Paul or Ringo was a dream of mine. But, lucky for me, my dream came true. August 10th was a Sunday, the first Sunday into freshman year. My Nino (godfather) had bought three tickets to see Sir Paul McCartney’s “Out There” tour at Dodger Stadium. I couldn’t believe it! I was filled with joy and glee and I wanted to start crying honestly. My dad was a little hesitant to let me go, because it was a school night after all. I begged my dad to let me go, his only rule was that my homework had to be done beforehand and I had to go to school the next day. I never agreed so hard to anything before in my life. So, that Sunday I did all my homework, I put on my Beatles shirt, and I waited for my Nino to come and pick me up. The entire way there we listened to Beatles albums and I had to keep telling myself, “this is really happening. You, Samantha Ehrlich, are going to be seeing a Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney.” When we arrived at Dodger Stadium, there were a line of cars waiting to get parked. It took us awhile, but we finally parked, got inside, and sat down in our seats. I was so anxious and excited looking down at Sir Paul’s stage in the outfield. To calm my nerves, my dad took me to look at the merchandise. We both got a shirt and I also got a poster, which is hanging on my door still to this day. After that, we returned to our seats and waited for the show to start. I kept checking the time for 7:00, but the minutes felt like hours going by. Finally, the lights went out, Sir Paul came out playing “Eight Days A Week,” I jumped out of my seat so fast, as well as the rest of the people in the stadium did too. He played a few more songs, and then he took a break to say hello to the crowd. I was already crying, my Nino and my dad were laughing at me. Throughout his entire set list, I sang along to every song he played. Sir Paul McCartney played thirty-nine songs that night, with two encores. I’d like to see current bands today do that today. I don’t know how many times I cried that night, but I know it really hit me hard when Sir Paul played his last three songs. His last three songs were a medley off of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album. The songs are, “Golden Slumbers,” “Carry That Weight,” and “The End.” Once he broke into “Golden Slumbers” I knew he was going to finish soon and I wasn’t prepared to say goodbye yet. I just sang along with Sir Paul and enjoyed the music he was playing. “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make,” as soon as he sang those lyrics I knew that was it. My one time of seeing Sir Paul McCartney was over with and I survived the night. Once the song finished, Sir Paul and the rest of his band got up and bowed and all said their goodbyes to the crowd and thanked us for coming out to see them. Leaving the stadium, I was feeling bittersweet, I didn’t want Sir Paul to leave, but I felt really happy I finally saw one of my idols. That night, I rewatched some videos I took from the concert and fell asleep with golden slumbers in my eyes. The next day, I wore my new Sir Paul McCartney shirt and was greeted by my friends asking me how the concert was. I started tearing up saying how amazing it was and how I wish I could see him all over again. Well, I had a big surprise for me the next time I saw my Nino. He picked me up from school, handed me an envelope and told me to open it. Inside there were two concert tickets to see Sir Paul McCartney again in San Diego on August 28th! I was ready to start crying again! But, I controlled myself and just thanked my godfather for buying us tickets to see Sir Paul again. My dad told me the same rules to have my homework done and to go to school the next day, which I did. That Sunday the 28th, my Nino picked me up and we drove all the way to San Diego’s Petco Park to see Sir Paul again. The second time felt just like the first, I was in awe the entire time and didn’t want the feeling to end. Sadly, it did end and we drove home and I went to school the next day, despite getting home at 3:00 in the morning. Sir Paul’s concert meant the world to me, because I saw one of my idols with my own two eyes and heard him perform songs that hold a very special place in my heart. It was and still is the best days of my life.