Op-Ed: How I Passed The Time Meditating While Waiting For Lauryn Hill To Come Onstage

So what if she cancelled the last 3 scheduled performances? I know if our positive energies align, Lauryn Hill will not disappoint me tonight. I get comfortable in my car, knowing that she’ll come onstage in 3 hours at the earliest. I gently close my eyes.

Deep breath in. Slow breath out.

Inhaling the excitement swirling around me. Exhaling my co-worker’s negativity from when she said I was stupid for buying Lauryn Hill tickets with my rent money.

Inhaling the delicious scents from nearby food trucks. Exhaling the gnawing hunger twisting my insides because I don’t have any money to buy that food. But I am here. Lauryn is here. Everything is everything.

My eyes flutter open as the loudspeaker announces that she will be on stage momentarily. Our energies are aligned now. “Yeah, right,” Lauryn’s energy says. “2 more hours at least.”

My eyes close again. I visualize Lauryn walking out with her guitar. The audience goes wild. It sounds so real! She sings all my favorite songs - just because my energy desires it. She apologizes for the previous no-shows then sings Nothing Even Matters. Nothing else really does matter, Lauryn. Nothing but you.

Someone taps on my window and I jolt awake. I feel great. I’m ready to see Lauryn live now. “You missed a good show,” they yell. “She did a heavy metal cover of ‘To Zion’!”

I check my watch. 90 minutes have passed, not 3 hours. Security is telling us to go home. How was I to know that this was the rare instance when Lauryn Hill performed on time? 

When I get home, I’m submitting a credit card dispute for the ticket sale so I can pay my rent. I’m already behind two months after they cancelled that Ja Rule show in the Walmart parking lot. And then again in the Kmart parking lot.