TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE

The other day I went to a rock concert at Madison Square Garden in New York City.  It was not my favorite group, but a fun group with lots of top hits. The energy in the crowd was palpable.  We were sitting near the back of the floor, raised up high a bit, situated in a place where you might stand up the whole time with the orchestra people, or remain seated since we were close enough to the back and elevated, such that you don’t really need to stand up much. 

“SIT DOWN,” yelled the aging man a few rows over to my right.   A fabulous famous song had just opened up the concert and electrified the audience. “SIT DOWN!” he yelled again, only louder this time. I stared at him.  My section was all sitting.  I wanted to get up but was afraid of blocking the people behind me.  I temporarily remained seated, finding fascination with this man’s behavior instead. His wife’s face (if it was a wife) displayed a similar disgust. I watched the dancing people in front of him. I’ve often noticed at concerts that there is that one person who can’t stop dancing crazily, regardless of who is next to them or who is watching.  That person will move their hands with wild gestures and sway ethereally and mouth all the words. I get it: There are times that I have to get up and move and dance and feel the beat pulsate in my body. Yes, I’m alive! It’s a rock concert, not a morgue.

It was then that I decided that there are two kinds of people in this world.  Jason Reynolds (a wonderful young adult writer who I like a lot) had recently tweeted about there being two kinds of people in this world - those that lift up their trays at the airport and those that, by their inaction, force others to do it for them.  I wasn’t sure I agreed.  But there at Madison Square Garden I thought: There are 2 kinds of people at concerts: those that yell out for people to “SIT DOWN!” and those that can’t contain themselves and dance wildly.  I suppose I side with the latter.