Be thankful for time with others

In the past month, I have been to three concerts.

Matt Birkholtz

One was to see Paul McCartney at Great American Ballpark, the best concert I will probably ever see in my life.

Another was to see four men dressed up as the ‘Fab Four.’

The final one was to see a classic, the Glenn Miller Orchestra outdoors at Conner Prairie in Fishers, Ind.

You might be wondering why I would be talking about three concerts in one column.

Concerts are a way of enjoying an artists or group’s music with family or friends, yet on the evening of Aug. 13 as Jessie and I were enjoying the Classical Mystery Tour, a gustnado caused a stage at the Indiana State Fair, just 15 miles south of where we were, to fall onto people in the crowd, killing seven and injuring nearly 40 people.

A gustnado, according to the Oxford dictionary, is a strong whirlwind at the leading edge of a storm.

I have never heard about this weather term, but it was scary for Jess and I to be that close to a tragedy.

Thankfully, we were told about 30 minutes before the storm to leave the concert and head for our cars. Within that time, they canceled the concert and we headed back home.

Since the tragedy at the Indiana State Fair, it made me realize how fragile life can be. All seven that were killed were just enjoying a night out to see a band perform on a stage.

Be thankful for the time you have with everyone.

If Conner Prairie hadn’t done what it did, the same thing may have happened to us.

The following week, Jess and I decided to use a rain check that was given to us, to see the Glenn Miller Orchestra, which brought memories of my grandparents and remembering dancing with my Grandma Warren in front of her record player. I decided I would share that memory with Jess and took her out into the grass and danced with her, sharing a wonderful peaceful night outdoors listening to big band music.

So the next time you go to a concert outdoors or even indoors, enjoy the moment with your family or friends, because you just never know what may happen.

(Matt  Birkholtz is the sports writer for the Grant County News. He may be reached at mbirkholtz@grantky.com or by calling 859-824-3343.)