What is Your Once in a Lifetime?

My life is not always so serious.  In fact, for those who personally know me, they would agree my life is quite the opposite.  I am constantly living through an experience that will take me into a whole new direction, so I prefer those experiences to be special ones that leave me with a smile and an opportunity to feel blessed.

A couple of nights ago, my cell phone rang at two o’clock in the morning.  Since I have friends in many different time zones, I get calls at the oddest times so I did not panic.  Actually, I missed the call.  When I checked the voicemail message left by my best friend, all I could hear was an audience cheering… apparently she was at a concert given by none other than Prince.  (Figures she would “accidentally” pocket dial me during his show to rub it in.  Don’t mind me as I roll my eyes and sigh.)

When my friend called me bright and early to wish me a happy Mother’s Day, we started talking about the Prince series of concerts going on in Los Angeles right now.  Mr. 1999 is currently doing a 21-night run at the Forum in Inglewood, the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers and so far she has attended four of them.  (Imagine a show of this magnitude at the old Spectrum… Jujubees from 1980 are probably still at concession stand.) 

Rather than taking a long-term concert to Las Vegas like many other celebs, the Royal Badness stepped back into time to reach the masses.  Prince gave an incredible opportunity to people who would normally not be able to get tickets to a Prince concert otherwise and by giving new life to an old arena, selling tickets for only $25.

Concertgoers never know who the opening act will be.  He has surprised the crowd with artists such as Alicia Keys, Chaka Khan, Esperanza Spalding, Gwen Stefani, Whitney Houston, and even the Time.  Come on now… I know someone out there is a Morris Day fan.  Am I the only one that loved “Oak Tree” and his mirror-toting band member, Jerome?  Each concert is totally different from the nights before and Prince will perform the same awesome jam session for a crowd of 1,700 or a sold-out arena of 17,000. 

My best friend saw this as a once in a lifetime experience.  If you knew her, you would say that is pretty impressive.

Another very close friend of mine concurred, as she has attended a couple of shows herself.  Apparently it’s the thing to do if you live in Los Angeles, to post on Facebook photos of yourself at a Prince show and brag to your friend on the other side of the country who is missing the show.  (Did I mention how jealous I am of them?)

One thing the whole Prince topic did spark between my friends and myself was the question, what is your once in a lifetime?

I’ve been blessed to have a list full of dreams that I have been able to fulfill and check off.  I never claimed to be a Maya Angelou, Zora Neale Hurston, or Terry McMillan.  I only knew I had a dream to write a novel and see it on a store bookshelf. 

As an adolescent, I used to stare at liner notes on Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” album and wondered what it would feel like to have my name on an album like all of those people.  One day, I also pursued that dream experiencing a once in a lifetime opportunity working with some world-renowned entertainers.

This Mother’s Day, I celebrated having my favorite once in a lifetime moments of all – my four children.  I took time to just bask in the joy of having their love, which after more than eighteen years it still amazes me.  Each one of my babies are a beautiful once in a lifetime moment for me, because they are treasured, irreplaceable gifts from God.

Even with moments such as sharing a lifetime with beautiful children and dream-based accomplishments, I also relish in comfortable moments like a trip with my closest friends who live in a handful of places sprinkled around the States.  Trust me, to coordinate a weekend getaway with girlfriends is very difficult and worth valuing, too. 

Today, I ask you: What is your once in a lifetime?  When was the last time you sought out a once in a lifetime experience?  Did you experience it on a whim or did you teeter on the edge for a while before you jumped right into the moment?  

I challenge you this week to go out and find your once in a lifetime.  Just know that once you do, the moments to follow will never be the same.

Keisha Mennefee (www.keishamennefee.com) is an author and resides in Spring City, PA.