Tim Hawkins and Sweet Caroline: Just What I Needed!

We got back several hours ago from our spur-of-the-moment trip to see Tim Hawkins perform.  We drove two-and-a-half hours to see him, spent hundreds of dollars, and had a great time.

Honestly, this is just what I needed to remind myself that life can still be fun!  

First off, Tim Hawkins was hysterical.  We were cracking up for two hours.  I got to watch my kids rocking over in laughter, just about falling out of their seats and onto the floor.  Raising a thumbs-up to him every time they liked a joke or recognized one they heard from him online.  

(And yes, as homeschoolers ourselves, I even loved his homeschooling jokes.  But then again, he gets to mock homeschoolers because they homeschooled their kids, too.)  

What a treat!  To be able to splurge on a completely spontaneous trip that would be a once-in-a-lifetime event.  (Thank you, Lord, for the means to do this!)  Even buying the "boxed set" of his DVDs so we could laugh for hours together at home throughout the year.  (https://timhawkins.net/)

I love that I got to share this with my kids.  That we got to do something so "irresponsible" and over-the-top that someday my kids will say, "You know, I remember the time my parents surprised all of us kids with a spontaneous, over-the-top trip to the Dells just for one night to see our favorite comedian.  We had such a blast.  And it was such a treat.  We never thought we'd ever get to see him in person!  But what a dream come true!  I have the best parents EVER!"  

(Yeah, I know that's not how boys talk.  It will be more like, "I once got to see Tim Hawkins.  That was cool.  He was funny."  But I can dream, can't I?)  

It was a blast.  So glad we went!  It's one of the best things we've done in a long time!

(And I even used this trip to stop the kids from bickering.  The day before we went and the day of the trip, I'd stop them every time they fought and say, "No bickering on the day before Tim Hawkins Day," "No one's allowed to complain on Tim Hawkins Day," and "Stop fighting.  It's Tim Hawkins Day!"  It was like a family holiday!)

But one of my other favorite moments happened a couple minutes before the show started.

We were sitting there in the audience, listening to the random music being pumped through the speakers.  People were milling about, finding their seats, talking in their small, little groups.

When all of a sudden ... "Sweet Caroline" came on.

Now, I have always loved Neil Diamond.  

But I didn't know he had the power to stop time!

I kid you not, everyone stopped what they were doing ... and the whole audience sang along.  We raised our hands, swayed back and forth, sang the "Bah bah bahs" and "so good, so goods."  We sang the whole song together, spontaneously, as one voice.  It was as if there was nothing else to do in the world that moment but to sing "Sweet Caroline" together.

Now, I know this isn't as inspiring as a group of strangers in a restaurant busting out into some hymn or "Amazing Grace" or something.  But it was special and fun for me.  (And now my kids are catching on to Neil Diamond.  Which is great for me 'cuz they usually hate my music!)  

It was nice to feel part of the group, like we all had a common link, something to bond us, no matter what our past or our struggles or our shortcomings or our differences.

For a couple of minutes, we were all in the moment together!

I loved that!  And I love that song.

And then ... we got to laugh for two hours at Tim Hawkins.  Umm, make that "with Tim Hawkins."

And so, in honor of this weekend, here are links to some Tim Hawkins videos that cracked us up while we watched them in the hotel room before the show even started (it's hard to keep it to just a few):  "I'm No Rockstar" Trailer and On Church and Inappropriate Wedding Songs and Atheist Camp Songs and Things You Don't Say To Your Wife and Fun Funeral and Fire Ants and Yoga Pants and Alternative Cuss Words.  And a link to Sweet Caroline!  So good, so good!  

(And I'm gonna have to learn some of those alternative Christian cuss words, to replace some of the ones I mutter under my breath.  Actually, my all-time-favorite cuss word is "Bob Saget!"  And "Fuddruckers" would be pretty good, too (not on Tim's list, though).  But you gotta be careful with that one.  One slip of the tongue ...!)

_{^{Looking good, Tim!  We all said you must've been working out lately!  And I just gotta tell ya - my twelve-year-old walks around the house practicing to be you when he gets older.  I don't know if I should be proud or terrified!  :)}}