The Price of Friendship
Table of Contents
An Open-Ended Question
Why do so many people feel like they don’t have ever have enough?
How come it can sometimes be so easy to forget all of the good parts in our life?
This past weekend, I pinched and reminded myself that there are more ways to evaluate how I’m doing besides the number of commas in my net worth or the letters after my name in my email signature. There are other types of wealth other than just $$$.
What about measuring a good life by the quality relationships and loyal peeps in my life?
Alternate Email Signature: Tayzau, 4.0 quality loyal friends
Tayzau, no matter how much you budget, save, or invest… $$$ will never be the sole source of a genuine and meaningful connection.
A Spontaneous Concert
On Friday, my friend Justin, texted me at 4:30pm asking if I’d like to go to a concert in two hours! He had just won FREE tickets to the “Wale and Friends” concert at the newly-opened Entertainment and Sports Arena in Congress Heights, Southeast DC.
Was I available? Do I love music? Do I crave new experiences?
Yes, yes, yes!
Even though the concert was in this HUUUUGE arena, it somehow it felt like we were a part of this small-town backyard community concert. As each artist performed a few of their top songs, the other artists danced and vibed to their music on stage too.
Wale, the headliner, was the biggest supporter of the night.
He…
- Threw his jacket into the crowd.
- Asked for a Sharpie so that he could sign someone’s Nigerian flag (Wale is Nigerian-American)
- Broke the performer-audience barrier multiple times, hopping over the fence and running into different sections of the stadium to sing with everyone.
- Pulled artists into a group picture, emphasizing the significance of so much DC talent congregating together for a very special evening.
As someone who recently moved to DC, I am so glad I was able to learn more about DC’s diverse and thriving music scene. I am grateful that I could attend and support the growing local creative economy too.
Because of my friend and this concert, I was able to say…
Yes, to good company.
Yes, to good music.
Yes, to meeting a musician from Southeast who introduced us to go-go music, a only music genre that has originated from DC! (I’m listening to go-go as I write this now).
Yes, to learning about more than 20 local DJs, bands, and performers in the DMV Area. The * indicates some of my favorites from the night.
- Ari Lennox*
- Ade
- Beau Young Prince*
- Chaz French
- Coach Bombay
- DJ Money
- Farrah Flosscett
- IDK
- Innanet James*
- Jerome Baker III
- King Iven
- Lightshow
- Little Bacon Bear*
- Mane Squeeze
- Mannywellz*
- Mista Selecta
- Ras Nebyu
Yes, to a spontaneous evening filled with so many good vibes.
A Stark Reminder
After the concert ended, I asked myself…
What is the price of a friend who values and appreciates you?
How much does it cost to have an amazing adventure?
Monetarily, it may cost some $$$, but it should never cost you your dignity or character. A good human is fun, supportive, and helps you grow as a person.
I am glad to be reminded that there are other aspects of your life that can add significant value too… like radical experiences and serendipitous connections with new creators, souls, and thoughts!
Feeling humbled and grounded, I want to continue to make time for humans who want to invite me into their lives and make sure to invite them into my life too.
I can’t forget them, and I don’t want to either because the honest truth is that some of the best parts and people in life are absolutely priceless.
