I am about to see Paul McCartney live in concert for the fifth time. I am about to be in his presence. For the fifth time.
The first time I saw Paul McCartney was for my 6th birthday. Now I am 19 years old, seeing him for the fifth time. That's an average of once every two to three years. It feels like yesterday that I saw him live for the first time, I think about where I was in life every time I saw him. I realize that I am vastly different from the first time I saw him, and even more so the second time I saw him in 2011.
Paul McCartney's presence in my life since childhood affected me in a way that no other thing has. Being obsessed with him and The Beatles in general when I was younger gave me an escape. It gave me something that I could pour my heart and soul into memorizing lyrics, facts, watching their movies, everything. It helped shape my identity. It helped make me, me.
I honestly cannot imagine what I would have done without being exposed to The Beatles near infancy. I suppose I would have latched onto some other pop culture phenomenon, but then time would be rewritten, and I honestly would not have had the same experiences that I have had today. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
The last time I saw McCartney was only last month. The month before that, I had seen Ringo Starr live for the first time. Each time I go to their concerts now, I see children hopping up and down, ready to see their first Beatles-related concert. It brings me joy to see 6-year-olds as thrilled to see this band that affected me so much throughout my lifetime. Of course, people probably thought the same exact thing about me when seeing me as a 6-year-old at my first Paul McCartney concert. It is simply astounding how music, especially The Beatles, gets passed down from generation to generation, and it brings nothing but happiness to nearly everyone.
People are always shocked when they see young ones at a Paul McCartney concert. Some may even be impressed with the child and how it was raised on "good" music. All I think of, however, is how life changing it was for me when I was just as young, and I wonder if it will be as life changing for them.
