Sipping on the High of Expectation

This is my last blog until the weekend.  Rhonda has returned from her trip so she will take over until Friday, but you all survived under my care for the past couple of weeks.  When she blogs tomorrow, don’t be surprised if she doesn’t talk about touring or getting ready for our trip, our tour.  After all, we leave on Friday so touring is what is consuming a lot of our thoughts right now.  When I get ready for tour, as I have blogged about before, I make sure that all of the details are taken care and in order.  In this case, we have plane tickets, hotel rooms, rental car, meetups, concert tickets and more.  It is easy to focus on the things that need to get done for a tour to happen and I have no doubt that everything will work out this time.  Yet, beneath the surface of agendas, road maps and hotel confirmations is a much more challenging element of touring to get in order and that is my expectations. 

I’m willing to bet that all Duranies have expectations when they buy a Duran album or song, watch a Duran video, see a Duran show or go on tour to see many Duran shows.  Frequently, some of these expectations, especially the ones connected to a show, are mentioned and others are hidden.  Sometimes, they are so hidden that they are never acknowledged or only acknowledged to oneself or one’s closest friends.  The frequently stated and openly stated expectations about a tour include how excited someone is or how that person can’t wait to meet or see friends or even that the show(s) are going to be amazing!  Those kind of statements are typed over and over again on message boards, emails, social networking sites, and more.  No one would question those kind of expectations.  In fact, people may question Duranies if they don’t make statements like those!  After all, if you aren’t excited, why go?  Those expectations are the easy ones, though.  They are easy to say and don’t leave people feeling open or vulnerable.  The other expectations, though, can lead people to feel exposed and open to ridicule, especially in a fan community such as ours in which fans are not always nice to other fans.

This time, instead of ignoring those deeper, darker expectations, I’m going to acknowledge them so that everyone else can as well.  Some of the other expectations I ALWAYS have when it comes to going on tour or going to shows involve the show itself and the band.  For the show, if it is general admission (GA), I always wonder and hope that I get a good spot.  Yes, yes, I know that everyone wonders that.  No, I think most of us wonder if this is the time for front row.  Goodness knows, Rhonda and I have pretty openly been wanting and trying to get front row forever.  It has never happened for us so we always hope for it.  Do we expect it?  I don’t know if we can go that far but we certainly hope.  Then, at the shows, there is always an opportunity for a drumstick or a guitar pick.  Again, I won’t lie here and say that I would be thrilled, thrilled, thrilled, thrilled to get something of John Taylor’s, preferably something like a guitar pick.  (I don’t need a sweaty towel or something like that!)  I wouldn’t reject a drumstick from Roger or a pick from Dom, either, but John would be ideal.  I don’t really think it will happen but I always hope for it and say that someday it will happen.  The biggest of the expectations has to do with the band itself.  Yes, I guess, technically, I have met the band at the cd signing in 2007 but who wouldn’t love to meet them outside of an official function.  Goodness knows, I could die a happy person if I could get a picture with each member, including Dom.  I see so many others experiencing it, I always hope that this time just might be the right time for ME. 

Do I really expect that I’ll get front row, get a pick from John or get pictures with the band?  Nope.  I don’t, but that doesn’t stop me from thinking that this might be the tour for any or all of those things.  Logic doesn’t always rule, especially when it comes to fandom.  Will I be disappointed if those things don’t happen?  I always am, a little.  Does it ruin my fun?  Absolutely not.  Yet, I won’t lie and say that I don’t hope for them.  I do.  I think everyone does, if they admit it to themselves.  (I already see the comments coming in…no, I don’t care to meet them, etc.  Yeah, there might be an exception or two.)  I guess, in a way, I’m acknowledging them to say first that I’m normal (no comments necessarily here, really) to have such high hopes.  (I’m sure that there are other hopes that some fans have of things like the ultimate autograph.  That’s not me.  My dreams are a little bit closer to earth!)  Yet, I’m a fan.  Fans want to have something from their idol.  They want to be as close to the stage as possible.  Obviously, a lot of people do want to meet them and have that picture to document the moment forever.  By acknowledging these “big dreams”, I’m trying to bring myself down to reality.  Remind myself that it is okay to dream and dream big but not to put so much into them that it ruins my fun. 

Here’s the reality.  I want all of those expectations.  Yet, I know that the likelihood for any of them is very small.  It is fine to have dreams but they can’t be so big that they block the real fun that will be had on tour!  So what are your expectations and how do you keep them in check?

-A