Episode 22: 3 Lessons a Mega Pop Star Taught This Mom Doc

I was that mom. I still am that mom.

I’m that mom who jumps through a flaming hoop 8 feet off the ground for her kid.

Honestly, I feel in my heart you are too.

Now imagine that burning circle represents buying tickets for a mega pop star concert.

You finally make it through that hoop, singed but relieved, only to find another fiery challenge now 9 feet off the ground.

I’m talking about Taylor Swift and her worldwide Eras Tour.

As I leapt though each challenge, I never expected I would relearn profound lessons.

I never expected to find a new role model for young kids, their moms and really so many people in the world.

I never expected to relearn how to leave aside excuses and live for my values.

And I’m not ashamed! Here is my story which starts almost 2 years ago.

This Physician Mom’s Swift Story

Hello and thank you for listening! Here’s my story.

When tickets went on sale for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour the first dibs were to go to her fans. They received a special code and a presale date before the tickets were released to, well, the universe.

Unfortunately, this presale date for her fans was on a weekday, a school day.  Thankfully, I was home that day and agreed to log in, grab some tickets and be on my way. My biggest angst was how many to buy.

That angst soon shifted to frustration when I logged in to Ticketmaster. The screen showed I was in a cue — with 2000+ people ahead of me, just to select seats. “Wow, but ok,” I thought.

I did chores, work and kept returning to my computer keeping tabs on the line. The web page had a little progress bar slowly creeping across the page, which kept me hooked on my progress.

After maybe 1-2 hours, it’s a little fuzzy now, it was my turn!

As soon as I tried to pay, the tickets were gone. I repeated this several times with different sets of seats, all disappeared in seconds.  As soon as I put them in my cart, they became unavailable.

I had to get in line again, then the cue would “pause.” This went on for 6 hours, until my daughter got home from school.

It was a nationwide fiasco, and the media did not hold back scrutinizing Ticketmaster either.

Have you been a part of this Ticketmaster rollercoaster?

I resigned myself, I made a couple more attempts to buy tickets at the general population sale, and extra “fan” sale and even through family members.  Basically, nothing worked and resale prices on third party sites were ridiculous.

Fast forward 1 ½ years, smack dab in the latter end of the actual tour. My family was in Amsterdam on a planned family trip and guess who was in town – Taylor Swift.

My daughter was watching the resale ticket prices and you know, they were a fraction of the cost in the US!

On a whim, we bought 2 nosebleed, obstructed view seats and 2 days later were sitting in the stadium watching the countdown clock to the start of the show.

I’m not going to lie; I teared up when Taylor made her entrance. I couldn’t believe after all these hours, days of trying to get my daughter to this show, we were here.

It was real.

She was ecstatic.

It felt like a huge mom win. I bet you can relate.

Ok, so the story so far is a little predictable. But there’s more.

We were back home maybe 2 weeks when I read this article, about the cheapest Eras Tour tickets in Germany. Curious, I checked. Holy cow, I could get floor tickets along the stage for almost what we paid for the nosebleed seats in Amsterdam!

I secretly checked airline tickets and fantasized that I could buy two, hop on a plane to Germany with my daughter, and be back in 4 days. I had a small break from work, so I could do this!

I jokingly brought it up with my husband and daughter with this “Can you imagine?” look on my face.

I’ll wrap this up, I could go on.

We ended up flying to Warsaw, Poland a week later. Two left floor seats in our email box. This time, we had time to shop for an outfit, and buy earplugs.

The trip, the concert, the view – they were fantastic and memorable.

Recovering at home, again, the news this time reported a terrorist threat to Swift fans for her next stop in Vienna. Three shows had to be cancelled. Other Swiftie moms found out at various stages, boarding their plane to Austria or just as they settled into their hotel. How utterly shocking.

I felt for all of these families and the mix of emotions they felt, from anger to frustration to gratitude, that they were unharmed.

There’s so much planning, anticipation and excitement around attending one of her concerts, whether it was months or spur of the moment.

It really takes much less energy to find an excuse and just not go through it all, right? There are so many justifiable reasons for not searching high and low for concert tickets; it’s expensive, I don’t want to take time off, or I already tried, and it didn’t work.

But in the end, it was all up to me. I made it happen.

A Reminder That You Are a Strong Mom Doc

So, what did I learn, or relearn, from this whole experience?

They apply to you too, here they are:

1. 1. You deserve this. A plane ticket, a beautiful city, an unforgettable experience with your family.

You deserve to make memories of your choosing that resonate with what’s most important.

For me, that was to create a moment that brought both my daughter and I to tears, which doesn’t happen very often.

1. 1. If something is important to you, you can make it happen. Find the window of opportunity and pounce.

You are already intelligent, resourceful and goal-driven, it’s just a matter of where you choose to apply your skills. And sometimes that means playing the long game to win.

1. Things absolutely don’t always turn out the way you plan, but you pivot.

   I like to think of a hiker that plans a trek up a beautiful trail. At the end is a breathtaking vista which you can’t appreciate until you round that last bend.

   But life, ever unpredictable, has other plans. A fallen tree, a sudden storm, or an unexpected detour can force a change of course. Yet, it’s often in these unplanned diversions that offer the most stunning vistas, or hidden waterfalls, or secret meadows.

   You find beauty when you just keep going.

Persistence wins the game when circumstances allow. It did for me, it only took about 15 months.

I never dreamed I would hop on a plane for a concert. That’s just not who I am – er, I guess it is now.

I’ve changed so much in the last 20 months, from wondering if I would even enjoy this “Eras Tour” concert to becoming a full-fledged Taylor Swift fan myself.

The more I listened to her lyrics, followed her career and the strength of her comeback, her generosity towards humans, and her brilliant talent, I gained respect for this woman.

I am a Swiftie Mom, and I’m not ashamed to say it.

Embrace life, grab those fleeting opportunities, you deserve it. You CAN make it happen when it’s valuable to you.

As I get older, I use more of my energy minimizing regrets. I don’t regret that I didn’t get those tickets 2 years ago, I tried.

I just don’t want to regret not trying.

Don’t forget to join me next week for another dose of support and inspiration. Until then, take care of yourselves, and take care of those who matter most.

It’s Time to Take Control and Thrive!