I was at book club recently, bemoaning a particularly stupid thing I did, and my wonderful friend Jenni said, “You’re next blog should be about that.” She was absolutely right. So thank you, Jenni. I hope all you readers will benefit from my lesson learned and my vent session. Here goes.
I love theater. I love to read. If forced to choose between the two, I’d probably pick my books, but as far as pastimes go, these two are in the top five. Even more so, I enjoy sharing my love of these endeavors and last year I had my son read one of my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird. He enjoyed it, and when I saw it had come out on Broadway I knew it was going to be a mother/son outing. As time is winding down on this summer break, I decided to get going and buy those tickets.
Now, how are you guys at ticket purchasing? I can get a little crazy. I mean, I guess we all can, right? We want the best seat for the best price and the work needs to be put in. Here was my problem this last time around. You know that little clock that winds down, second by second, telling you exactly how many minutes you have left to purchase the specific tickets you are looking at or poof, they are gone? That dastardly clock was like a little time bomb, ticking in my mind and on the verge of an explosion that would annihilate my tickets and my dreams of a broadway date with my son. Yes, a bit dramatic but maybe that’s why I love theater so much.
Initially I started my ticket search on StubHub and thought I had found a pretty good deal. However, as the clock ticked it’s countdown I became paranoid. Buy on the first site I check? I should investigate another, but what if I loose these tickets? Tick, tick, tick…Oh darn! Quickly, I raced against time and opened a new window. I found tickets that weren’t as good but were cheaper. Hmmm, be the theater snob and get the better tickets or just go for the cheaper ones? Theater snob won! I clicked back to StubHub, started the process to purchase, and just before I was getting ready to buy I noticed a $50.00 handling fee for each ticket. A hundred freaking dollars for fees?! Hell no StubHub!
What does this jaded theater snob then do? I went back to the second site, checked for the tickets, and the clock once again started ticking. I decided to find a third site, but in all honesty, I did not give it my best effort. I didn’t want to lose this second set of tickets, so I just went ahead and purchased. And then, with no little ticking clock left to go off, the sadistic part of me decided to check yet another site. This time, I could calmly search without the threat of a countdown. Well, not only did I find better tickets, but they were cheaper! GRRRRR! I SHOULD KNOW BETTER! If I tell you that it took a couple of days to get over this mistake, I am not lying. Here is my lesson learned.
The clock means nothing. I fell right into their little hands and mindlessly bought just like they wanted me to, (You know They. They are the ones who are always out to out to get you!) Even if the worst happened, and I wound up losing some really good seats, there would always be other tickets to be purchased. I did not need to act rashly, because always, a calm and conscious decision making process is a much better choice. It wouldn’t have even taken me that much longer! Why was I letting my choices be dictated by something as silly as that clock? So my silver lining in all this is my lesson learned. From here on in, any tickets to be purchased, hotels to be booked (You know Expedia always puts that little blurb up, “Two other people are looking at this room right now!”), and especially any purchase with a ticking clock as a backdrop, will not be rushed or hurried. Research will take precedence. Chances are I am simply not going to miss out.
I am sure once I am seated with my son on our big day, all this ticket angst will be forgotten, and we both will be transported to 1930’s Alabama. I’ll let you know how it goes and perhaps I’ll give Boo Radley your regards.
Chaos to Calm 