Nashville was what I have lovingly referred to as the "stupid concert" in my list to attend.  I drove 4.5 to Nash on Monday to drive 4.5 back on Tuesday to hop a plane Wednesday to get to Orlando.  Nashville was kind of a ridiculous decision, but I found the words, "Okay...I'll see you in Nashville" coming out of my mouth before I could stop them in Chicago.

In addition to being geographically dumb, the Nashville show was also unbearably hot and the venue opened the doors over an hour late.

And then there was the chick.

I don't normally call people out on my site.  In fact, I have simply not posted rather than actually share my real experiences before.  But there is a moral to this story.

I am kinda glad she brought it to me.  Because I was EXACTLY the wrong person to bring it to.  AND I have never hit anyone.  That worked to her benefit, as well.

You see, after about 1 song of the 100 Monkeys set, she leans into me and begins to rant.  How she is embarrassed.  How she has lived in Nashville and gone to SOOO many concerts and has never seen people not dancing.  How embarrassed she is of us.  How "I get that he's JASPER and everything, but THIS isn't about THAT.  It's about the MUSIC" and how "I just can't understand YOU people."

Ironic side note:  I HAD taken a few pictures at that point.  0 of Jackson.

So.....I brought it back to her.

"You see," I said, "this is my 19th show with them.  I run a fairly well-respected fan site for the band. I drove in today from Indianapolis and I am driving that 4.5 hours back tomorrow to hop a flight to Orlando for show 20.  Yes.  There are some...maybe many...who walked in tonight because of Jackson's OTHER day job.  In fact, I bet you found them that same way.  But give them a few minutes.  You can't be in this room for long without it becoming about the music.  And you don't have to tell ME that."

What I didn't point out was that the vast majority of people who had cameras out around me were either other fan sites or first-timers.  I didn't point this out, and she hadn't bothered to invest the time to chat with those around her to figure out what she was jumping in to.

This fandom is pretty awesome.  You see, I spent that CRAZY Nashville night in a hotel room offered up to me by Twitter followers I had never met JUST because they saw that I was looking for somewhere to crash.  Is there some crazy?  Of course.  Is there some drama?  I guess yes, but I have gotten REALLY good at remaining clueless.  Are there some strangers who will not be strangers after a few minutes?  Definitely.  Are there some of the most selfless and kind people I have ever met.  For sure.

I have always believed that we get to choose a lot of our own experiences in life.  Reactions are choices.  We get to choose our relationships.  What we choose to invest in is up to us.

This fandom is us.  It is what we make of it.  What will it be for you?