keep it professional - r. taylor

32

~July 1985~

My deep sleep was rudely interrupted by the loud blaring of the alarm clock. Barely opening one of my eyes, I saw the clock read 5:30, which was simply too early for me to continue functioning. My body was yelling at me to head back to bed to try and get a better night's sleep. But my mind was telling me that if I fell asleep again, I wouldn't wake up again for a few hours, and I couldn't be late today.

The day had finally come for Live Aid. All of our anticipation and work had led up to this day. Which coincidentally meant that absolutely nothing could go wrong or it would be broadcasted across the world.

I had stretched myself out across the mattress while I was asleep. My neck was slightly sore from the uncomfortable position I was sleeping in, but after stretching it out, it was as good as new. As I opened up my curtains to view the morning sky, I saw that not even the sun had risen yet. Why is it that I am currently awake right now while it is still pitch black?

I could barely make it to the coffee machine. I found it much easier to shuffle my feet across the floor instead of actually lifting them up to take steps. It was truly sad. Sipping on my first cup of coffee, I realized near the end of the cup that one cup was not going to help me get through the day, so I began to pour myself another one. Knowing I would most likely regret it later, I sipped on the coffee as I tried to wake myself up.

Next was moving on to the bathroom. I didn't turn the lights on in fear of potentially blinding myself in the process. The cold water that I splashed on myself helped reinvigorate my senses slightly. Since I would be spending most of the day running around, trying to not die in the backstage heat, I went for more of a natural makeup look. I put on enough so I wouldn't look dead, but not too much that it would be streaming down my face by the end of the day.

In terms of my outfit, I wanted to be comfortable on my feet all day. So, I went with a basic pair of jeans, and a white blouse that tied in the front. I don't think professional wear was the dress code today, and if it was, this was the one time I wouldn't mind sticking out in the crowd. Pulling some strands of hair back, tying them to keep the pieces from getting in my face, I glanced over at the clock and noticed it was only 6:00, meaning I had an extra fifteen minutes to relax. Fifteen glorious minutes I could be spending in bed, trying to fall back asleep. But of course, I had overplanned and thought of the disastrous occasion that my morning routine would take fifteen minutes longer than usual.

But I took my extra time to sit outside on the small balcony I had, drinking my coffee and looking at the sky. There were faint specks of color scattered throughout it, indicating that the sun was slowly starting to rise. It was actually quite peaceful. There were barely any cars out at this hour, so the environment was quite tranquil, which was something I had never seen before.

Finally, when the outside got too cold for me, I headed back inside to pack up my things and head out the door. Before I left, I grabbed one of my jackets, just in case the wind decided to pick up again.

Even though I had deeply regretted it earlier, I was glad that I volunteered to get there a little bit earlier instead of at the same time as the band. There was already a line outside the stadium, filled with eager fans bouncing around, waiting for the doors to open. It took me quite a while to weave through the streets, stopping every few seconds as a new group of people decided to jaywalk in front of my car. These people were lucky I was on high alert. If I had glanced down at the radio just once, one of them may have ended up sprawled across my windshield.

I barely found parking, having to park in the very back of the lot. Heading towards the stage door, I fiddled with my clothes, hair, and anything else that could be adjusted. This was my big, triumphant return with the band, and the last thing I wanted was that something happened during the performance that was ultimately my fault.