Float On

Rock the Garden, 2015

Rock the Garden is an annual two day outdoor concert event that happens each summer in Minneapolis. It is held at the Walker Art Center on the hill across from the sculpture garden. My husband and I attend each year. This year my sister attended for the first time with her friend Sarah. We staked our claim and made our home at the top of the hill. My sister and Sarah went to explore while I spread out on my ultra-tacky picnic blanket. As I was sitting there I met Kevin. Kevin was a guy in his 30’s who was attending the concert solo and was intrigued by my gaudy blanket. Kevin was a free spirited bloke who joined our group. He came and went throughout the various sets. You would see Kevin blowing up his smuggled-in balloons when he wasn’t standing on his head at random, and somewhat inappropriate times. As day one came to a close we all agreed to meet up at the same general spot on the hill for day two. After having dealt with public transportation for day one of the event, I vowed that regardless of how baldly my Sunday morning kickboxing workout whooped my butt, I was still going to ride my bike the 5 or 6 miles to the concert.

On Sundays I typically do a 2 hour kickboxing workout and this Sunday was no different. After my gym time, I sped home to ice my knees and refuel with a quick lunch. I was feeling pretty relaxed after punching my aggressions out and decided not to rush to the concert. I told myself, today I am going to just let the day unfold however it will. I’m sure my ultra-laid back attitude was a mishmash of not having to worry about kids, as they were with grandparents for the weekend, feeling tuckered out from my morning workout, and all of the THC left in my system from day one of the show. Regardless, starting my day out with this mantra was the best thing I could have done for myself because had I been in another mindset my day would have been ruined.

At least for a while.

Last fall I put the key to my bike lock in a safe place for the winter. Of course, that safe place was a bit too safe as I have yet to locate the damn thing. Because my lock was so expensive, I have not given up hope that I will find the key. In the meantime I bought a cheap lock from Target that broke before I had even opened the package. I decided to stop at the Walgreens down the street to buy another lock on my way to the show. They didn’t have any.

Ok. Small setback.

I decided to go a bit further down the street to a bike shop and pick one up there. Just as I was pulling up to the bike shop and read the sign that said “Closed” I heard POP! What the hell was that? I got off my bike and saw that my back tire now had a big, gaping hole in it. My options now were to walk my bike home or walk my bike to another bike shop to get the tire fixed and buy a new lock. Either way it was going to be about a mile and a half. I opted for the repair shop. I walked my poor bike in the hot sun, with sweat rolling down my back. It was unpleasant but not unbearable. As I waited for my bike repairs to be complete I reminded myself, today is my day and I’m gonna let it roll. As I was looking at the bike locks with an exceptionally friendly salesperson Modest Mouse began playing on the overhead speakers. “I’m going to see these guys tonight,” I told him. One hour and fifty dollars later, I was ready to roll out. I arrived at the concert an hour late but in good spirits.

Alas, I have arrived.

I laid in the sun soaking in the music and energy that was humming all around me. A few hours later Kevin arrived. We asked where he had been and he stated that he “needed to take the day off.” Kevin did not disappoint, however, as he had stolen a bunch of balloons from the K-Mart down Lake Street. We now had all of our contraband in one spot.

Day One: Belle and Sebastian with Kevin’s balloon

As Modest Mouse came on stage we began to blow up the balloons and decorate them. I briefly thought about how to design my first balloon and decided to write FLOAT ON across it. Kevin only had one Sharpie with him so we all took turns. The people around us joined in. I had developed a sort of launching system with them for sending the balloons down the hill. Our pacing for the launch was in conjunction with the copious amounts of weed that we were smoking. Rock the Garden tends to be a family friendly event, so for added discretion we exhaled into the balloons and tied them tightly, before sending them down the hill towards the stage. Once the balloons were all launched Kevin and I stood up to watch the migration while dancing around blithely. At that moment I remember feeling simultaneously grounded and free. As I watched the balloons bounce across the crowd I thought about how my journey to the show had begun and how that journey paralleled with the migration of our weed balloons. It seemed silly to try controlling the direction of the balloons because in attempting to control them you would be unable to appreciate the enigmatic beauty of their journey. Our weed balloons were all going to end up at their destination, regardless of the path they took.

They just floated on.

As the concert came to an end we all parted ways. I never did get Kevin’s contact information. I have a feeling that if I am meant to see him again, I will. The ride home began similarly to how it had started, with me walking my bike along the greenway. Only this time I was walking my bike until I regained confidence in my large motor skills. After a while I was ready to give it a whirl. Here goes. I wonder if anyone has ever gotten a DUI on a bicycle before. I chuckled to myself at the thought of being pulled over by a bicycle cop and imagined how that scenario might play out. As I mounted my bike I knew that one way or another I would get home alright.

Alas, I would arrive.