From Rock And Roll To The Nerd Prom

The Washington Correspondence Dinner! Where the power elite meet Hollywood chic! I followed all the action on Twitter: there is Tom, Katie and Donna Brazile, DC pundent. Oh look....its Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary and Barbara Walters! Look over there it's.....nah....it can't be...OMG it is...WHAT IS JON BON JOVI DOING AT THE "NERD PROM"?!?! What am I doing following something called "the nerd prom"? What happened to parties, booze and rock and roll? What happened to youth?

Seeing Jon hob nobbing with the Washington wonks instead of groupies made me think back to when we first "met". It was the fall of 1986. I had just moved into my first apartment and was struggling with becoming an adult. It was scary and exhilarating but one thing puzzled me: how can I do this growing up crap and still have fun! I don't want to let go of the fun! Enter "Slippery When Wet"!

"Slippery When Wet", Bon Jovi's 3rd album, infused a spirit of Jersey Shore fun into my crazy life. It was a spirit of anything goes, of parties, of fun! And fun I did have! Fun with the traveling to see the band all over the country, fun with the new friends I made, fun with sneaking in to radio stations to meet them! Following Bon Jovi became so addicting and so fun that responsibility went by the wayside. Money for bills was spent on concert tickets, jobs were put in jeopardy by time spent traveling instead of working, life became all about the fun!

Then I grew up...we ALL grew up...mortals and rock stars alike. I knew I had finally hit adulthood when I missed the last Jovi tour because I couldn't afford it! I didn't travel to see them in New York, I didn't even see them in downtown LA! I knew Jon Bon Jovi hit itwhen I saw him on Oprah after the inaguration, talking about social responsibility and his philanthropy efforts! It seems we have both learned a thing about balance!

This balance doesn't mean I give up my love of Bon Jovi, no way! Those trips to NY are amazing. Now, as an adult, I budget for them and plan for them. And I can follow rock bands and Nerd Prom attendees in equal measure! During the journey to adulthood I have learned I don't have to give up fun along the way, I just need to keep it in check. Like an adult.