For the record, I really like Van Halen, and I prefer the David Lee Roth version of Van Halen in particular. Last year, Van Halen toured North America, and when I received news of when tickets were to go on sale, I was determined not to miss the show.

As the date to purchase tickets drew near, I began to think about whom to go with. The usual choice of family, friends, and neighbors came to mind. What also came to mind was the last time I bought 2 tickets to a concert. The person I had bought a ticket for decided to let me know at the very last minute that he couldn’t go. It was no big deal except that it wasn’t going to be easy to find someone to go with me at the very last minute. So, I “ate” the ticket, and went alone.

At first, I felt awkward going to a show by myself. Many questions ran through my mind like, “What do I do while I wait for the show to start”? “Whom do I talk to”? “Are those other people staring at me wondering why I’m here by myself”? Silly, but it felt strange going to a show by myself. But, once I sat down for the show everything changed.

After waiting a half hour in the parking lot for the show to start, I went inside, and I found my way to my seat. Just then, the house lights went down, and the show started. It was as if the audience was waiting for me to arrive. Looking back, it was really no big deal to go to a concert by myself. Once the show started, it was all about the show.

Going back to my dilemma about buying Van Halen tickets, I decided that this time around I wasn’t going to take any chances of getting stuck with the hassles of finding someone to go with. I decided to go to the Van Halen concert by myself. Having ‘broken the ice’ before, this time around it was a ‘breeze’. Some people I met at the Van Halen concert were there by themselves too. It made for easy conversation, and I made new friends. The experience empowered me, and I have completely lost any fear I had with speaking to people I didn’t know.

The best way to overcome any ‘fear’ is to face it head on. Going to show by myself forced me to confront my fear of engaging complete strangers in conversation. Once I realized that there was absolutely nothing to worry about, my dealings with complete strangers are no longer the challenge it used to be. Looking for a way to empower yourself in your dealings with people you don’t know? Try going to Van Halen concert alone. Just don’t forget the earplugs!