I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with both of my daughters this summer in between our busy work schedules and other commitments. Not only have we been all together, but I’ve also had the chance to spend one-on-one time with them.
This past weekend, it was my younger daughter’s turn. We visited a friend in Nashville where my daughter and her friends attended a concert.
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To be quite honest, I don’t listen to much pop radio, so I didn’t know who Shawn Mendes was—but I had heard the name. I don’t live under a rock.
We were walking around an area called “The Gulch,” being tourists when I noticed dozens of young girls waiting in the hot sun in front of a hotel called The Thompson. They lined the street in front of the hotel as well as the sidewalk across the street. Security guards corralled them away from the front door. We quickly learned that the girls were waiting for a glimpse of the rock star. Clearly, they were willing to wait as long as it took, even though there was no guarantee he would be walking out the front door.
In my opinion, it was unlikely.
It reminded me of that old footage of people waiting for the Beatles to get off a plane in the 1960s. Wild, unapologetic fandom. It was actually kind of touching, in a day and age where anyone can see their favorite stars on social media, that they would make the effort to see them in person.
I asked the girls if there was anyone they would be willing to do that for. They said “maybe,” and listed a few actors and pop stars. I also asked myself if I would stand in line to get a glimpse of somebody. As hard as I thought about it, I couldn’t come up with anyone. It made me a little sad thinking that maybe I have aged out of fandom. it’s just another reminder that our lives have seasons. But clearly, the next generation is taking it on with gusto!
Amanda is the mom of two, a reporter for WRAL-TV and the author of several books including some on motherhood. Find her here on Mondays.