Today's the Day!

(If you are a Kpop fan and can spare a couple of minutes, I invite you to answer my 7-question survey. Thank you in advance!)

So, I’m calling this my mid-life crisis. Clearly, that has to be the explanation for why this 45 year old mother of 2 is driving to Chicago in the middle of the week in March to see the internationally popular and totally incredible, KPop band, BTS, perform a sold-out Wings Tour show in the Allstate Arena. Many thanks to my hubby, who got me the ticket and is taking days off work to allow me to take this journey, for that’s what it really is.

This is more than just a show. It’s a long, drawn-out experience.

I’ve been into this for a while but since January I’ve ramped things up to get a better grip. Tracking trends on social media. Following ARMY (the die-hard fans of BTS). Learning lyrics. Watching dance routines and music videos. Reading articles from a wide range of sources- from Billboard to AllKPop to XXL Magazine. Writing analyses of songs. Seriously, those around me have been putting up with a lot. 미안 해요. And again, thank you.

Why all the fuss? It falls back to my lifelong quest for understanding.

I’m at a unique point in my life. It’s a bit of nostalgia seeing how far I’ve traveled. I remember my own time when I could have been the uber fan with crushes plastered all over my personal space. How are things the same today? How are they different?

Today, I also have a personal stake in the more masculine side of adolescence. I’m a parent of boys entering their teens and I want to understand some of what they may face from their peers or from within themselves. For some reason, I’m finding that Kpop, and especially bands like BTS, is offering me a way to approach this sensitive area in their lives. It’s different enough that neither of us is the expert and we can talk more openly. Or we can just jam in the car.

Lastly, I’m always seeking to see if my belief that humanity itself is more good than bad, and more similar than different, is valid or not. This band seems to support these ideas and I’d like a bit more confirmation. In today’s world, more so than ever.

What do I hope the night will provide?

With my age comes an innate hope that we all get in and out safely. Beyond that, BTS’s albums focus on prompting us to acknowledge pain and stick together while we struggle through our evolution. That’s the message I want to feel: Life’s tough but we can still have fun along the way. Together.

Let’s do this.