That's how long it has been since Lady Laura and I saw Usher perform here in Lowly London.
And as fate had it, we sat in the same spot we were back then.
TALK ABOUT NOSTALGIA.
Back then, we were two young, fresh-faced 20-somethings with no responsibilities, no kids, no worldly stresses, and propped up with legs that could endure hours of dancing without a single ache.
I was working part-time in an electronics store, and the rest of the time, I studied at university for a degree I eventually abandoned.
Nowadays, our lives couldn't be more different.
For starters, I’m sleep deprived, which, outside of the odd night shift and hangover, was never a thing back in the Before Times. Secondly, I get to write an email every day to my most ardent readers and explore fictional worlds for a living.
Quite the humbling experience.
Quite the transformational arc, I’d say.
Laura's ever-swelling belly and the midnight demands of Master Liam also mark this contrast of change, but you know what?
I WOULDN'T CHANGE IT ONE BIT.
Not for all the lay-ins in the world (alright, maybe that's negotiable) 😅.
But I bet we weren't the only ones in the O2 Arena who were also there 15 years ago.
While Usher’s performance wasn't what it was all those summers ago (the guy's got four kids, a crazy schedule, and is fast approaching the half-century mark), it didn’t make it any less joyous to share the space with the man who carved a huge chunk in the RnB market and was an icon for my generation.
Sure, his chiselled body may or may not have made me feel in some way about my abs buried beneath an inch or two of "cushion."
And yes, Laura's wooing might have earned a concerned glance from me, but the night was a memorable one.
In a weird, roundabout sort of way, being crammed into the O2 Arena with 20,000+ fans reminded me of our own little “digital version” of the O2 we’ve got going on here.
THE LEGION.
You see, I didn't want this newsletter to fall into the common trap of only being a place for periodic announcements and the occasional update about a cat I do not have.
No.
I want to create a connection with my fans.
I want to grow older with you.
Taste the highs and lows of this experience we call “life” — together.
And to, ultimately, entertain you for as long as my gnarled fingers allow.
My fiction is no different.
And if that has you saying “Yeah!” like Usher back in 2004, then you can peruse my wares right here:
And with that, I will graciously bow and leave the stage until tomorrow.
DJJW