I’m a Little Bit Country

In February 1983, I was born in San Antonio, Texas. My family and I resided in Texas for only a brief amount of time. The western culture has always played a major role in the development of my lifestyle. Till this day, I am still unsure what it was that sparked my interest first. Whether it was the music, cowboy hats, or western attire, it was all quite fascinating to me.  I often reminisce about the innocence of being a young girl and how much I enjoyed country music. I can vividly recollect sitting in the back seat of my parent’s car singing at the top of my lungs. I attempted to sing exactly like whoever was singing on the radio. Considering I’m not a talented singer, my parents often laughed at me in the front seat.  

Words can’t express how much the western culture has impacted my life. As time passes, I think we tend to forget who we are, and where we come from. For me, the last two months has been very overwhelming and stressful. I am still trying to balance work, school, studying, and relationships with my good friends. I often find myself with little, or no extra spare time at all. I constantly feel like there is not enough time in the day for me to take a moment to relax. The weekend was rapidly approaching and I was going to make this weekend different.

For Christmas, I was given front stage tickets to, in my opinion, the biggest country concert of the year. The legendary George Strait and Martina McBride were performing at the Gwinnett Arena. I took the afternoon off of work, and headed to the hotel to get prepared for the show. I proceeded to get dressed in my bright blue plaid shirt, rugged dark denim jeans, and straw cowgirl hat. I recently purchased a new pair of cowgirl boots and I was excited for the chance to finally break them in.

            
             Even though I was extremely excited, I waited patiently for the cab driver to pick me up from the hotel.  I grabbed my first drink and proceeded to walk towards my seat. At last, the concert was about to start and my seat was only a few rows back from the stage. The lights in the arena started to dim as the crowd's cheering grew exceptionally louder. The anticipation of waiting for the performers to appear on stage was very exciting.

Finally, the spot light shined down to the stage and there she was, Martina McBride. Martina started to sing and the crowd eventually started to settle down. Her exquisite voice filled the arena with sheer ease. The crowd danced and cheered as Martina sang her heart and soul out. You could sense Martina’s sincere appreciation from the support of her fans. Martina seemed surprisingly overwhelmed by the positive enthusiasm of the crowd. At the end of her performance, the crowd applauded while Martina stood silently crying tears of joy.

           After Martina stepped off the stage, it was time for a short intermission before George Strait performed. I made a brief trip to the restroom and purchased another drink before I proceeded back to my seat.  At last, it was the moment that the crowd had been waiting for. As George started to sing, he approached the stage with extreme confidence. The crowd proceeded to cheer louder, but George’s voice radiated country twang through the arena.


          
            George proceeded to sing one amazing song after the other. Each song reminded me of a memory from my youth. It’s ironic that when an individual hears a specific song, they can relate it to a certain point of time in their life. It was honestly an expierence of a lifetime. The extravagant light show, unique sound quality, and amazing performers made the concert an unforgettable night. The concert reminded me that the western culture will always be a reflection of my country girl roots.