We’d been in line since 10 a.m., sitting on concrete and quaffing lukewarm water from plastic bottles. It felt like we’d been there for two days, though it was only 1 p.m. The doors of the Staples Center wouldn’t open until 6 p.m., so we weren’t even halfway home. But it was worth it, and not just because we were waiting to see U2.
Six months earlier, my wife Shelley gave birth to quadruplets. The first month was filled with joy and celebration because they were all healthy and thriving ... and because they were still sleeping at the hospital. After they came home, there was still plenty of joy, but it came packaged with sleep deprivation, constant work, screaming infants, and the gradual collapse of our bodies and minds. At home, every day was nonstop chaos, so sitting on a sidewalk for eight hours chatting, reading, and snacking wasn’t so bad.
We had general admission tickets for the floor. The farther up we were in line, the closer we would be to a stage. But U2 added a twist that made things interesting. About five percent of the people with general admission tickets would be randomly selected to enter “the ellipse.” It was an area in front of the stage enclosed by a circular ramp. People lucky enough to be in this little corral would have the best seats in the house. The band, especially Bono, spent a lot of time running around the platform encircling the ellipse. Anyone inside would be literally in the middle of the concert.
The opportunity to get in to the ellipse filled me with pleasant anticipation, because I knew we were going to get in. I had no inside connections and I hadn’t bought anything special on ebay. Nobody told me we were going to get into the ellipse—I just knew. More specifically, I knew that Shelley held the golden ticket that would get us both into the ellipse. We’d been through a lot in the past six months, but she’d suffered most. Between a painful and dangerous pregnancy and countless nights without sleep, Shelley was due for a lucky break. This wouldn’t be luck, however; it would be God.
