For months my friend Missi and I were planning on going to the U2 Elevation Concert. She had her ticket, and well I did not. She was lucky enough to be in the heart. Four days before the concert there was a tragic accident in our town. It left 3 dead, and one wounded. One of the deceased was my old bestfriend of five years,Amanda Taylor. She had just turned 18 that february, and well we were just a week from graduation. I took the news like someone had honestly ripped out my heart and just left me there to deal with the pain. It still continues to be the hardest thing that I have ever dealt with. I found out the next day her funeral was to be on the 30th of May......as you all know the concert was the 30th of May also. I thought long and hard and decided that Amanda would want me to go to the concert. Missi came up with an idea to make shirts for the concert. The front had a U2 Elevation Tour painted on it, and on the back of mine it had a suitcase with Amanda's full name and her dates of birth and death. At the bottom it read "All that I can't leave behind". The day finally came. I went to Amanda's funeral, I left there not even sure that I could get up the energy to go to the concert. I dryed the tears from my eyes and headed out. It was quite a long drive from Ann Arbor, but we made it. I got a seat behind the stage, but honestly I was just amazed to be there. Going into the concert, I knew the popular U2 songs..."With or Without you" you all know what songs I'm talking about. I honestly hadn't really heard much of All that you can't leave Behind. U2, did something for me that day that not even my mom, dad, family, or friends could do. They comforted me, and brought me to what now I like to think of as my utopia. Bono's voice reached out to me, and everyone it seemed and just brought us all together. I went to concessions to get a soda, and there was a man who asked about my shirt. We talked briefly and he was touched deeply by my story. It was the first time in days I could tell someone what had happened and not cry. I hope that man is well now. U2, have become a big part of my life. I listen to them all the time, and I am proud to say I have heard every song. On the Elevation Tour DVD-Live from Boston Danny Eccleston talks about how U2 had to perform only hours after finding out that Bob Hewson (Bono's father) had passed away......he said "I saw U2 stumble and I saw U2 fans pick them up". To me this shows that what you give to others, is given to you. They lifted me up, and we lifted them. If you ever read this-you being Bono (Paul), The Edge(David), Adam, and Larry I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your music, your love for your fans, and for helping me when I needed it the most. I love you guys, Melinda

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