Last night, a Wednesday night, I was texting with a friend who asked if I had ever been to GLBL VLLG. (You can look it up for more details than my own.) I said I had not, because some venues that hosted it did not allow children — and frankly, it wasn’t an experience I was looking to have without them. This weekend is my fiftieth birthday! We have fun things planned, but I have spent my life since I was thirteen seeking my own artistic, social, cultural, musichead pleasures. All things of that ilk are more fun now with my kids, and only more so the older they get.

But it was still a surprise this morning to find four tickets for GLBL VLLG in my e mail. Anonymously. For tonight.

So, we went.

Claudia had wanted to bring her novel-in-progress to work on and I had said no — but honestly it would have fit into the atmosphere just fine. Still, she works on it plenty and needs to look outside of herself more — and at this event we were offered a journaling workshop, painting, karaoke, double dutch, dance lessons, Connect Four, photo-ops, and incredible kindness.

Claudia made a really cool t-shirt. She also bought a bracelet from a woman named Claudia (!)

There was a Lunar New Year photo booth.

The lovely person in back of Béla below, introduced themselves to me because they “liked my spirit”. That was nice to hear. And I like this photo, because although Béla is easy on the eyes in person, he is somehow a DEGREE more-so in photos. I’m always taken aback. I guess that is the definition of “photogenic”. Note how much older he is looking… and how not-to-be-messed with.

Béla also found out something interesting about his body at GLBL VLLG. He has been straining his neck and head all week, pushing his head forward on his shoulders in pain. He’s been in a lot of discomfort. And there was a chair masseuese who was also using a frame drum to do some healing, and reiki. Tucker got Béla a session, and he immediately felt better.

We had a good time but were hungry and tired. Claudia had taken an Outschool class today in National Mythology Exam prep, among other things, and both kids had another Outschool class fairly early tomorrow (not to mention more activities later.) So Tuck grabbed a Lyft.

I honestly believe that Lyft and Uber drivers have a special alert that comes on when Tucker is getting into their cars. Maybe they even fight over him. He seems to bring such joy. I have heard stories of Spanish-language singalongs with Tuck and a driver, seen drivers remember NOT me or my multiracial children, but TUCKER, from years’ prior when we get in their cars. And tonight, we got in our Lyft, and our driver said to Tuck, “My girlfriend and I have discussed this, and I am going to say your name — with no accent. I told her I would. Can I try?”

We were all ears in the backseat. Tucker acted like he was asked this kind of thing daily. “Are you Dominican?” he asked the driver. He was. “Without a Spanish accent,” he reminded us. And he said, “Tucker”. Commendably. And then we told him how awful the name “Tucker” was.

We had a great conversation about how both Tuck and Claudia knew some Latin. “The Mother of all the Romance lanugages,” the driver said. “Am I right?” It was just charming.

A fun time. We will go to GLBL VLLG again, because there was no live jam session, just karaoke tonight, and our friend would like us to see the live jam and we would too. And we would like to know those people better! And try more things. Like double dutch!

I’m grateful for my anonymous gift.