Highlight of My Summer...

Now that summer is pretty much over, I took a moment the other day to reflect on the personal summer highlights for 2011. I have to say that, though I enjoyed two great shore vacations with my husband, spent time with friends, family and other assorted characters (you know who you are!), read plenty of great books and got some down time, the absolute highlight of my summer was seeing Bob Dylan in concert at Convention Hall in Asbury Park, NJ on August 14th. For that, I have my husband to thank (thank you, Chris!).

This was the first time I saw Bob Dylan and I actually thought I was a fan prior to the concert. I was clueless! I know this because now I am DEFINITELY a fan...Not only was I wrong about my prior fan-status but I did not anticipate the impact that seeing him live would have for me. Once I started really digging into to his vast catalog of musical and literary creations, I have to say that I was completely blown away. And I am also incredibly inspired by his work...

My college degree is in English and American Literature and I have done my share of reading, particularly in the poetry arena. Though I am far from an expert, I can hold my own in reading, writing and literary interpretation. But I can't remember being this xcited about poetry since I first read T.S Eliot's Four Quartets back in college.  I have been writing since I was a kid and I can't remember being this excited about writing since I took a poetry workshop back in college as well. I feel like digging into Bob Dylan's lyrics has opened up a door that was a favorite of mine to walk through in the past but that has been closed for quite a while. Good stuff!

A lot of reviews of the Bob Dylan concerts constantly mentioned how his voice is shot and that they didn't like the way this song or that song was performed. His voice is definitely rough but here's the deal for me: I was in the presence of a living legend who has influenced the best of the best songwriters. His songs and his band are awesome and who really cares how rough his voice is? To me, he has character. The man is 70 years old and has been touring and performing for the better part of 50 years, for pete's sake! Should he sound like he is 20? As I said to my husband, if given the opportunity to sit down for dinner and a chat with any legendary person you could choose, would you not attend the dinner because that person was a bad cook? Of course not!

I am happy to be writing again. I don't know if I will ever share any of the new poems but I certainly will enjoy the process. Thank you, Bob Dylan!