Perils of Disability: Fixed incomes and attending concerts

Isn’t it interesting how sometimes, an idea for a new blog post just drops into your lap?

At the time that I began working on this week’s blog, I was in the process of preparing to attend a concert in a nearby city with some friends. To someone who is able-bodied, this seems like nothing. It’s easy to forget that what may be simple for you can actually be difficult for someone who struggles with their level of physical ability.

Anyone who knows me personally will tell you that the only thing I enjoy more than writing is music. I’ve been singing since I was a young child. My mother recounts stories of hearing noises coming from my crib and thinking I was crying, only to realize I was attempting to sing with the Contemporary Christian music that was my lullaby.

In addition to being an aspiring author, I’ve been rapping since I was 9. I have also been a choral singer, both in school and church. I suppose that’s part of why I love attending concerts.

On January 28th, I got to go to a nearby city to see one of my favorite artists (and one of the few I actually have yet to see) TobyMac! But as much as I love attending concerts, the idea also gives me a great amount of anxiety.

Most of the time when my mom and I attend concerts (my father isn’t much of a concertgoer; he loves listening to music, but the crowds and noise aren’t his scene and never have been) we go back to Greensboro, North Carolina, where I was born and lived until I was about eight or nine years old. This typically means we’re at the Greensboro Coliseum.

The Coliseum is usually packed, and most major concerts we attend there have lines out the door and that sometimes means leaving super early and struggling to catch an early meal at our favorite Mediterranean restaurant in town, Ghassan’s Fresh Mediterranean Eats.

Accessibility can be difficult; Ghassan’s is an old-school diner-style setup, with uneven pavement on the outside of the building. (Thankfully the food is more than worth it. Especially their Philly Cheesesteak or Chicken Philly subs, which I highly recommend. But be warned; they’re greasy!) Ghassan’s is a treat that I only get to enjoy once, maybe twice in a single year.

Then there’s getting into the concert itself. Greensboro Coliseum is easier than some other places I’ve been, but parking is usually a headache. There are also often wall to wall people, many of whom don’t care to pay attention to the fact that there is someone in a motorized chair behind them. [Sidenote: Wheelchair users, who’s with me on this? — motorized wheelchairs need louder horns, so people can actually hear us coming!]

It’s taken me a while to write this blog, just because my brain is still processing all of what happened, because we were incredibly favored on this trip. Here’s why I say that. I mentioned earlier that parking is a headache, right?

When we mentioned to the parking attendant that I was in a wheelchair, and we needed space to let out our van’s access ramp, he took us to an unusual spot we’d never parked before. We rolled up onto the sidewalk right next to the building and were allowed to park there. This gave us easy access to the side of the building where the elevator was to get upstairs to the concert.

We were on a lower floor than usual, but there was plenty of room for my mom to sit next to me, something we have challenges with on occasion. Our friends were just below us, so we were all (sort of) together. I had a great view of the stage and was in a place where no one could stand next to me to block my view (a common problem at concerts/sport events–folks, the edges of the railing in handicapped seating areas is not a place for you to stand and chat or try to get a better view, please be considerate — that was alleviated by my proximity to the railing this time.)

Also, this week I’ve been trying to work out some things with establishing myself as a business. It’s a process because I’m currently on a fixed income, but I pray that soon, that won’t be an issue.

I want to hear from you: If you like music, who is an artist you’ve seen in concert before that you would love to see again? Who is someone you haven’t seen that you would like to see?

Also: Enjoy this photo I took from the concert!