A View From the Upper Deck

Think back to when you attended a concert, but had to view it from a "mile" away. You accepted the viewpoint and celebrated the music, just as if you were front and center.

Despite your vantage point, it didn't detract from what you came to hear, because the "message/music" was what was important. It resonated in your car on the way to the venue and it reverberates through rafters as you listened, live, in wonder.

A verse may get mangled, a chord may be off, but it really didn't matter because being there was enough. You held your breath for an encore, you celebrated two more and the event left you joyful as you as you exited the hall.

Though events may have changed as you've grown a bit older, the excitement's still there, just like when you were younger. The venue's changed too, and it may be much smaller, but your passion still builds as the featured guest enters.

No guitars are around, a drum is not heard. A simple introduction and she smiles and waves. She acknowledges the welcome while her audience applauds. She begins her remarks with a honored acceptance, then goes straight to a joke, no short pause, no repentance.

I am so honored to get to be here and before we get started let me just get through some logistics really quickly first. Got my water. Do I have my straws? I want my straws. And I want them bent, please. Thank you. At least that’s what I read in some of the lamestream media outlets is that I was demanding straws or some ridiculous thing.

Laughter abounds, she's now part of the group. You wonder what's next and she won't disappoint.

So I’m just so glad that we got some of those contractual demands out of the way and finally settled. I think though that my speakers bureau, Washington Speakers Bureau, I think that this was one of the toughest contracts I think that they ever ended up getting to sign. They found it to be one tough event to sort out because it seemed to them that they were negotiating with the entire state of California.

And here you know, the rest of us looking in and kind of following what was going on with some of the shenanigans it looked like, ah, Jerry Brown and friends, come on, this is California, do you not have anything else to do? Goodness gracious. Priorities.

She's already in stride and her delivery continues. She relates to her audience on remarks about Reagan.

The Golden State. Always been nice to be here, always feeling such a connection here, a special place in my heart is California because this is Reagan country, and...yeah! And perhaps it was destiny that the man who went to California’s Eureka College would become so woven within and interlinked to the Golden State. And it was here that, of course, Reagan became famous as an actor and then distinguished himself as such a good governor and then launched his bid for president. And then, of course, found his final resting place underneath the warm, blue California sky.

A bad chord was just struck, a simple misspeaking. You ignored it because you knew what she was thinking. She continued to speak, without missing a beat. You leaned forward to listen, quite intrigued by her speaking. You're impressed by her passion. She knows what YOU'RE thinking.

The speech was too brief and you wished she'd gone on, but you're glad you attended and will remember it all. How often in life do you heed someone's call? You discuss it with friends as you exit the hall. You're thankful she showed in despite of it all.

...it’s going to be funny as more of this contract business is being brought to court and with their doing whatever they’re doing as they look at what the demands were to put this event together, I think they’re going to be really surprised at there not really being a there there. There’s not a whole lot of controversy I think involved in this. And I’m just so happy that you stuck with this program, you stuck with this event, and you didn’t cancel on me. I appreciate it very much, you guys. I do.

As you travel back homeward with thoughts of the night, you take solace in knowing your attendance was right. A satisfied feeling helps lull you to sleep. You think of her strong points, her bravery to speak.

The morning dawns new, you go about what you must. You pick up the paper to see what's now up. A headline barks out "Sarah Palin Misspeaks". The article headlines an event you'd forgotten. You remember the gaffe, but dismissed it in passing. It just had no impact on the message you'd gotten.

You think back to the concert from when you were young. You remember the venue and the joy it had sprung. It's all part of your memory, you're now thinking of "Beck". You've forgotten the miscues from your view, upper deck.