As Greg and I were headed to the door following a fun evening with friends, our hostess asked, “What are you doing Tuesday night? Do you like the Temptations?
My first thought was, ‘Who doesn’t like the Temptations?’ I simply responded, “Nothing, and, of course.”
She mentioned her husband was headed out of town and she had two tickets to the touring show “Ain’t Too Proud.” It tells the story of the iconic Motown group from its founding to today. I was thrilled to accept her invitation. We met at her house Tuesday afternoon and headed to Tempe for a pre-show dinner and an evening of entertainment.
The show was amazing. I tapped my feet along with the music, trying hard not to sing along. At intermission I learned I was not alone. Both my friend and the woman sitting on my other side expressed the same struggle. I’ll admit, there were a couple of times I am sure I heard the audience singing along.
Despite knowing all the tunes, the story was new. I had no idea how the group came to be. I learned the Temptations are still touring. A lone original member has seen 26 fellow group members come and go since the 1960s. The musicians on stage entertained and informed us with song and dance for nearly three hours! I watched and learned about their triumphs and struggles.
As the show wrapped up to a rousing standing ovation, we flowed out with the crowd. With an hour-long drive ahead, we headed to the ladies room for a pit stop. I had to laugh! The bathroom was adorned with fun facts about the history of bathroom-appropriate trivia.
I suppose it is fitting that an entertainment venue on a major university campus would ensure attendees have something to learn no matter where they sit.
I woke up this morning and realized I’d learned a lot more than just music trivia and toilet paper history. My friend had pointed out several spots of interest on the campus. Her daughter had attended the school and they’d visited enough to know about the area. I learned several major companies set up offices just off campus for easy access to an entire student body of interns. I learned a little about the tradition of the painting of the school logo on a nearby mountain. We learned more about each other as we chatted.
I am reminded that there’s always more to learn as we make our way through life. After all … there’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored!
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