The best day

I don’t know where to start this story. 

I could start with Nashville a couple weeks ago. I could start tonight, at 1:06 a.m., after I just met the person I’ve admired for the past eight years and saw him in concert for the 18th time. 

Or I could start the story years ago, after I heard the song Record Year for the first time. 

That song is a break up song that saved me and healed me. 

Let’s start with tonight.

So what do you say to your idol, the one whose music you love more than life itself, when you finally meet him?

It turns out, you don’t say much if you’re me.

It was quick.

He was late. We stood in line for about an hour, then they took us back. We waited and waited, and talked to one of his employees.

Someone asked the employee if he knew Eric.

Employee’s response: He’s my boss. Do you know your boss?

(I laughed. That’s my kind of humor.)

So there’s a lot of waiting and a lot of anticipation. And then walks up this normal looking dude in jeans, a black T-shirt and sunglasses, and he walks right past me.

We cheered.

And then it’s time for the meet and greet. You meet, you greet, you get a photo taken and then it’s over in the blink of an eye. 

I don’t remember seeing the photographer take the photo. 

All I could say was “Hi.”

He said “Hi” back.

He put his arm around me.

I said “Thank you” after the photo.

He said “Thank you” back to me. 

The thing is, that was a loaded “hi” and “thank you.” It was a “hi thank you for making music that changed my life and saved me more times then I can count” kind of a hi and thank you.

Do we think he knows that?

I’m pretty sure he does. I don’t think we have to tell him.  

The thing is, sometimes quiet wins.

I’m proud of myself for saying three words to him. I didn’t think I could get those out. 

Afterwards, I looked at the packed crowd and I cried.

There were 23,000 people in that audience, and I had some people question the M&G sticker on my leg and the autograph in my hands before the show started.

They gave me the look. The look! And then asked to see my autograph. 

And then someone spilled beer on my shoe.

I met Eric Church, I cried, and then I wondered if the beer smell would ever come out of my shoes.

Hi, thank you.

It was the best day ever.