Just For One Day

"We could be heroes."
These were the words that went through my head last night as I watched my son bash away at a cardboard guitar to the strains of Green Day's "Holiday". Saying that I was proud seems too simple for the feeling I had as I watched his act unfold. He and three of his friends were performing as an "air band" - a kind of exaggerated lip-synch routine that included special effects that included a fog machine and a strobe light. When the guitar solo came, and he stepped to the front of the stage, my mind reeled.
I could remember how he didn't want to be anywhere near a stage just three years ago. The fact that his father was in charge of his school's variety show seemed to burden him. He's always been a fairly introverted kid, building Legos and reading books. At that time he probably would have rather cleaned his own room than be dragged on stage.
That started to change last year when he decided that maybe standing up in the spotlight next to his dad wouldn't be too hard. After all, if his dad could do it, why not him? In the intervening year, there was some talk about putting together his own act: a skit, or even jamming on keyboards with his guitar playing buddy on "Smoke on the Water," or "The song from the second Bionicle movie" - something that really rocked. When February came around, it was time to settle in on an act or wait until next year. He got his buddies together and decided on the Green Day tune.
They spent an afternoon in our living room watching the video and learning the words and the moves. Over the following weeks they each practiced their parts and waited for the first full rehearsal. I confess that part of the fun for me was being able to blast a Green Day song through the school's auditorium sound system. The boys had practiced, and they seemed to know their bits, especially their lead singer who had obviously spent a good deal of time in front of a mirror getting his vibe just right.
The night of the big show, my son wore his new black velvet jacket with his tie-dyed t-shirt and helped me introduce all the acts. All of them except one - "Green Air". When the curtain opened and the smoke and lights poured out on the stage, the crowd went wild. The screams, whistles, stomps and cheers were for him and his band. And yes, I was very proud.