My 65-Year-Old Dad is Front Row at a Festival
Proof that getting older shouldn't stop you from living a fun ass life
My Dad is texting me from the front row of a music festival.
I always thought my love for music was my own thing. Turns out it’s 100 and million percent from my Dad.
Oh, did I mention he’s by himself at this music festival in Connecticut? Yea, he went alone. My hero.
I tried to swing it, and probably should have just done it, but I’m going to Boston this week and didn’t feel like being burned out from traveling, only having a quick recovery period back at home, before heading back up to the northeast two days later. Excuses, excuses, excuses, excuses… I know. I should have just done it, damnit. It’s okay though because I’m planning a surprise trip to Vegas to see U2 in concert with him soon. So it’s fine. Everything is fine. I’m fine.
Okay. I’m not fine. I really wish I was front row of Mt. Joy right now with my 65 year old father, boozin’ and dancin’ away. It’s these moments that I realize how freaking cool my Dad is. He’s one of the most inspiring people that walk this earth. Though I cannot keep up with his endless amount of movement and energy, his love for life and for fun is contagious. He lives his damn life and he lives it well. No excuses, no doubts, he just does it. As social as he is, he didn’t give the least amount of shiets about finding anyone to go with today. He went for the love of music and only that. He’s like me. If there’s a good band, the venue, the people, none of it matters because falling into a trance and worshipping the beauty of its sound fills every worry within us. Grounds us. Gives us agency and gratitude for the life we live. A philosophy my Dad demonstrates and a philosophy I aspire to follow.
“Connecting…” appears on my phone as I facetime my Dad this morning. He picks up while on the ferry from Long Island to Bridgeport, CT. I ask him what he’s doing today.
He responds, “I”m going by myself. I couldn’t find anyone to go with, but I don’t care cuz’ I get to go wherever I want, do whatever I want, and drink whatever I want.”
Obviously I start laughing. Freaking respect. Especially at the “drink whatever I want” part.
Right then and there I knew that I had a unique Father who raised me. The way he lives is the way I used to live before I settled down. the urgency to be in new environments, music, and travel are embedded in my genes. So in hearing that he bought a VIP pass to stand front row of Alanis Morissette and John Mayer gives me permission to go for it… always. It’s in my genes to move and getting older has nothing to do with it.
Even as a mom. Even as a wife. Even as someone who lives more in the realms of safety than I used to. I can’t stand people who travel and do things just for the sake of saying they did only to add to their pretentious image, ick, such a turn off. But, my Dad actually does these things for the absolute love of it. Not for instagram, not so other people can like him more than they already do. He travels to Cali and back over night for work and attends concerts alone to feed the parts of himself that keeps him Bob Foley. Keeps him young. He’s 65 and happy. He doesn’t live in fear. Like ever.
Though I don’t care to match him perfectly in his moving energy because I am a different person with more obligations and priorities at this time in my life, plus he’s hard to keep up with, I do aspire to just GO DO THE DAMN THING. Especially even so as I get older and as Gracie becomes more independent. The more she becomes independent, the more I become independent as well. What a gift. I’m already seeing that happen now.
One day, I hope to publish something about the life my Dad lives. I hope to show him. I’ll call it “An Ode to my Dad” or something like that. This piece only scratches the surface of who he is and how he inspires everyone around him to live the fullest life possible. My Dad is a legend and will leave a legacy. And my husband and I are his biggest fans.
Hang on, another text and video just came in from him.
“Good funk band from Philly.”
“Hell yea Pops, get after it.”
XOXO,
Kelly Jett