Honoring Melissa Tasca........

Have you ever done something that just feels right even though your inner voices are screaming at you?  It is when I follow my gut that the most amazing things happen and when I don’t, the regrets march in. 

Let me tell you a little story………

My daughter Melissa and I volunteered recently at the “Life Is Good” festival in Canton, MA.  For anyone not familiar with the Life is Good company, it was started back in 1989 by two young men who had a dream of creating a successful t-shirt business. Things took off in 1994 when they printed up their first “Jake” t-shirts based on the character below:

Simple messages of optimism done with humor were what the people wanted and still want so it seems.  From hawking their t-shirts on the streets of Boston to opening retail stores across the country – the Life is Good brand has grown and is promoting good vibes everywhere.

The festivals have been going on since 2003 raising money for one charity or another.  This year, the money went to the Life Is Good Kids Foundation and over $600,000 was raised to help kids overcome life-threatening challenges such as violence, illness and extreme poverty.

My daughter and I were assigned to the Box Office.  It was a great gig for we got to see all the people coming in excited to part of what we were offering.  We met some great people, heard some great stories and enjoyed ourselves so much that we offered to come back the next day when we heard they were going to be shorthanded.

Day 2 seemed to fly by and before we knew it, our shift was over and we headed in to the festival.  Some great acts were going to be performing that night and we wanted to throw a blanket down as close as possible to the main stage so that we wouldn’t miss a thing.

Strolling the grounds on our way to the stage was amazing and something I am not sure I can do justice to with words.  Every where you looked there were people – dancing, playing tag, blowing bubbles, laughing, catching a Frisbee,  singing,  sitting, laying out straight, sleeping – a feast for the eyes and ears.  You couldn’t help but smile – the happiness was contagious.

We found a great spot, threw our blanket down and then headed out to find something to eat.  As we turned, I caught a glimpse of a young woman who had just arrived to the open patch of grass at our left.  She was laughing, joking with her friends and she was bald.

Immediately, my gut said – “go – talk to her”. 

And of course, as my feet started taking me that way – my inner critic said “WHAT? Are you crazy?  What are you going to say to her? Are you just going to walk up and ask her if she has cancer?  She is going to think you are a crazy woman. “

So, I listened to that negativity, turned around and headed in the other direction.  Melissa and I grabbed some food and took it back to our blanket to eat.  As we sat there, I noticed that my gaze was being drawn to the woman with no hair.  Something was telling me to go to her – tell her about St. Baldrick’s – maybe she just shaved for them at an event.

And again, I chose not to.  

A few hours later, coming out of the porta potty enclave, I turned and there she was. 

Now or never – just ignore the inner critic and go for it or regret it forever. 

I approached her, knowing fully that I could very easily come across as a total stalker or an unstable person, but I forced myself to continue. 

Nothing ventured – nothing gained.

I asked if I could ask her an intensely personal question.

Absolutely – she said.

Your hair - did you lose it or shave it?

I lost it.

Bear with me a minute, I asked her and then proceeded to explain that I would be shaving my head in a few weeks for St Baldrick’s.  Since I do not have anyone in my family, immediate or extended, who is being affected with cancer, I wanted to know if she would allow me to shave in her honor.

She said yes.

And that short, 5 minute encounter, there on those grounds remains my favorite memory of the whole weekend. Sometimes it pays to tell that critic voice to just be quiet – that you are going to do what you KNOW is the right thing to do whether it seems ridiculous or not.

As Melissa (yes her name is Melissa too) and I hugged goodbye, we exchanged contact info so that we could keep in touch.  We went back to our respective people and I congratulated myself for being courageous enough to have stepped out of my comfort zone to approach her. 

Life is about the little moments, the human connections, the moments that feed your soul. 

This Sunday, I will be shaving in honor of Melissa Tasca ---  the beautiful bald woman that I met on a hill one summer night while we were celebrating how great life really is.