The most important of all tickets…

I went to the Umphrey’s McGee show Friday night. Other than the show being great, it turned out to be pretty eventful.

While in line halfway to the door, my friend turned to me and said she lost her ticket. The very same ticket I gave her earlier before standing in line, for which she hadn’t paid me yet.

She proceeded to purchase another ticket while I went inside and met up with me later.

Once inside, I checked my coat and received a ticket for it. I proceeded to get a drink and then headed to the floor.

After a while into the show, I purchased another drink.

After an even longer time, I reached into my pocket to take inventory of its contents, something I regularly do when out in public, and which I had done previously in the night.

I realized then I had lost my ticket, much like my friend had lost her ticket earlier in the evening. Under normal circumstances I would have thought nothing of it because I was already inside… but this was not a normal circumstance.

You see, I had ticket number 1. The first ticket of all tickets to the show. THEE very first ticket sold. Numero uno. Ticket #1.

You can imagine that it was very, very disappointing to learn I had lost my ticket. Thus began a formal search of the floor – everywhere I had been standing after getting the second drink.

So there I was, while band playing, wandering slowly with drink in hand all around the venue where I had been previously. Unfortunately, after some time of looking in places, re-looking, and going back again to the same places a third time, I hadn’t found my ticket. I found other pieces of paper, but not my ticket. Not ticket #1. Nor did I find any other numbered ticket.

All the while, I kept checking my pockets, all of them, again and again, in disbelief that I had lost my ticket, in hopes of finding it hanging out as if nothing happened (perhaps my mind was playing tricks on me?).

Each time I checked my pockets no ticket appeared.

However, the other ticket was still in my pocket, which is when I realized that the concert ticket really isn’t of great importance, and I was making a big deal of nothing.

And that’s when it hit me – I still held the most important of all tickets… the coat check ticket!

You see, if you lost that ticket, you’re likely never to see your coat again, making it truly, the most important of all tickets.


Of course, after time went by, still in disbelief, I reached into my pocket again to check – and what did I find along with the most important of all tickets?

Ticket number 1.

Hanging out.

Just sittin’ in my pocket. Snug-like the entire time.

Apparently playing magic-man with me all night long.

_