Cole

“I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible - Jew, Gentile, black man, white.” My story begins in my bedroom on a quiet Thursday evening as I sit against a wall. 20 miles away, Coldplay was playing a concert. I had wanted to go many months before, but the plan never panned out, and I ended up not being able to go. The entire day I had been so disappointed and down, and nothing had really gotten me up. I had been scrambling to find a live stream of the concert on my phone, as I luckily did right at 9 P.M., as the band took the stage. From there, I watched the entire show beginning to end, quite miserable. Listening to them slightly cheered me up, yet I was still so dismayed that I wasn’t there in person. They were so close to me! 20 miles! I soon went to sleep, hoping to forget about it in the morning. The next day, I went to school, and of course, I saw multiple people wearing Coldplay t-shirts, only worsening the disappointment that I wanted to rid of. Later that night, I was relaxing in my room and scrolling through social media. The same old headlines, photos, and articles bombarded my feeds, but, eventually, I stumbled upon a post that immediately popped right out to me. The post said last-minute tickets had gone on sale for Coldplay’s show in San Francisco, taking place the next night. As I read this, I suddenly I froze, and a wild, wild idea popped into my head. I then began making out an absurd plan of how I would somehow get myself from Las Vegas to San Francisco to see Coldplay in less than 24 hours. I presented the idea to my mom, and she laughed at me, saying that it wasn’t going to happen. Yet, I kept pleading her to go. I never, ever get this excited about something. Somehow, she was able to see that excitement, and she said let’s do it. Less than 24 hours before the concert, we bought tickets for 25 dollars apiece, a true miracle. The next morning, we got up, showered, dressed, and hit the road. “We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s happiness, not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone, and the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone.” The trip to San Francisco was an absolute blur of excitement, anxiousness, and fun. My mom and I listened to songs, talked, laughed. Stopping alongside the road to grab snacks, enjoy the scenery, and even checking out fresh fruit were all memories that had been made. 3 hours until Coldplay was on, we had arrived at our hotel, checked in, and got into our room. Eating Thai food and watching TV, my anticipation kept building and building as I deleted apps, photos, and notes to clear up memory for my photos and videos that I would be taking that night. An hour before showtime, we left, and the realization that I was going to see Coldplay live was sinking in. Forty minutes prior to showtime, we parked and began walking towards the venue. The walk there took about twenty minutes since we had parked so far away as a result of the chaotic mess near the stadium. For all of those twenty minutes, we could hear Alessia’s Cara’s blasting music, increasing and increasing the anticipation. Finally, twenty minutes prior to showtime, we had gotten into the stadium and we’re on our way to our seats. One of the most vivid memories I have from the whole concert was when we first saw the stage and crowd - the lights, the buzz, the music. It was all so surreal and mesmerizing, and my jaw completely dropped. This was really happening. As it hit nine P.M., you could truly feel the excitement and buzz throughout the crowd; it was the type of out-of-body experience that I’ve never felt before. As our seats gazed of the whole stadium, the lights went off, and the crowd turned on. O Mio Babbino Caro roared on, and as it played out, my mom and I spotted the band coming onto the stage from the back entrance. We looked at each other and pointed, shouting, “There they are! That’s them!” As the opera ended, the lights turned off again, but this time revealing the bright, red glow of sixty thousand Xylobands across the whole stadium. It was a site that it is hard to picture unless you’re truly there in person. From there, I was taken and absorbed into the most transcendent and spiritual experience of my life. I remember how much I shouted in joy, sang along, and most significantly, felt a connection with every single one of those sixty thousand people. For those ninety minutes, there were no differences between us - we were just there as fans, humans, as one. As the band meshed the final chord of the concert with the crowd's immense cheering, and Chris sang “Believe in love” and the fireworks went off, we all had forgotten about everything - our worries, problems, and troubles. For that moment in time, we were just lost. Lost in time, lost in music, lost in love. The concert had then ended, and I began to find my way out of the stadium. Briefly, I took a moment to look over the stadium as people flooded out. As I stood there, my gaze was drawn downwards to my feet, where I saw lying there a lone love button, still packaged. I kneeled down and picked it up, a huge smile on my face. It was almost as if the button itself was telling me that love can be found anywhere and in anyone, even in the most strange or unlikely of places. I pinned the button on my shirt and continued out. After walking a mile or two outside of the stadium, I encountered a young woman, who had an ankle injury. She was trying to make it down a steep hill along with her boyfriend, who was helping her. I asked if she needed help, but she was at first reluctant. But, she then decided that it would be better if she got extra assistance, and then asked if I could help. As the three of us began walking down the hill, she told me that I was a lifesaver, and that couldn’t of made me happier. Stopping to lend a hand not only make it easier on the woman, but I got the greatest feeling from just doing a simple act of kindness. When we made it down, she thanked me with the happiest face, and we parted our ways. I have no idea what her name was, where she was from, or anything at all about her. All I know is that I was there to help her, even if it was just for that brief moment of time. Even since then, I have never felt more encouraged to help and find the good in others, and it all began with that woman. “The Kingdom of God is within man�, not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power, the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure!” As we went home, we traveled past myriads of endless fields, growing foods from almonds to cashews to apples to oranges. As the miles and miles of land spread across the landscape, a lyrics from Up&Up popped in my head, as I could picture a lone hot air balloon drifting in the sky above: ‘Down upon the canvas, working meal to meal, waiting for a chance to pick your orange field.’ Yep, as I head off to college in just a mere couple of years, I myself am waiting for that same opportunity. But until then, no matter what happens at school or in my life, all I can and will do is help and love the people and world around me, with A Head Full of Dreams. Coldplay and their music have helped me to see that everyday, not just a couple or a few, but every single one, is an Amazing Day. And, maybe, just maybe, if people can see that, we could all dream together.