Just Do It - Part 2

That time I took the 
Nike tagline

Just Do It 

ran with it 
and

scored.

Anywhooo…

I was visiting my parents in Burlington, Vermont.  

My Dad, in his early 80's with a cane, 

was not getting around very easily.  

He had given himself and the rest of us 

a few too many health scares.  

Gerald "Jerry", my Dad…

the ultimate optimist.

A guy with a happy disposition, 

a gift of gab, and a love for all things people. 

Colin happened to be playing a show with Dustin Lynch 

at a casino in New York state about 3 hours away  

which was the closest they were going to get to my parents.

My dad expressed how much he 

really really really wanted to see 

his grandson, Colin and the band play a live show.   

I really really really wanted him to see it. 

However, there were a
load of reasons why I poo-pooed the idea...

The show was 3 hours away via an
extremely windy 2 lane truck route. 
The show wouldn't start until 9pm, so we'd be getting back v. late
and driving in the pitch black.

The casino would be crowded and hard for my Dad to navigate. 

Blah blah…..just more reasons that my Dad wasn’t buying into.

But he did have his medication with him.

To distract my Dad,

 I decided to take my parents to a nice lunch 

south of Burlington, down route 7, on a 

gorgeous Vermont day.

But after lunch, as we headed back home...
he kept on...keeping on with...
Wouldn’t it be great to go? 
We can do it.
Lets do it.  Come on.

That was it.  

I was done thinking about it.

No more putting up obstacles.

I immediately pulled the car into a dirt parking lot, 

backed it up 
and turned the car around.  

When my father realized what was happening 

he yelled, "Yahooo.  We’re going to the show." 

Seriously he said yahooo.

His look of utter joy is something I will always remember.

Such an amazing memory…

We met up with Colin for a nice dinner before the show.  

yellow shirts 😃

The casino was packed, but there was a balcony for good viewing. 

As we slowly made our way through the huge crowd…

a crowd of young people cleared a path for him…
saying "old man coming through."  

Dustin Lynch gave a shoutout to my parents 
and dedicated his song "Cowboys and Angels."

As we left the casino and made our way to the parking lot…
 ....we heard a voice.

Colin had climbed a tall fence and was yelling over it
"Bye Nana, Bye Papa."

It could not have been more perfect.

The scary drive home was as expected...
pitch dark...no lights except
the headlights of the Mack Trucks coming towards us 
on the narrow two lane road.
My parents stayed wide-eye awake
while 
I held my breath, 
held steady

and carefully navigated us home.

Should you get an opportunity to do something
but you come up with a million practical reasons

why not to do it...

but 

your heart says..."do it"...

Just Do It.

No regrets