Bono stepped into the elevator of the hotel with four of his friends. I stepped toward the back.
Last night, I spoke at Scribd about the habits of billionaires. I wonder if they eat breakfast. I imagined my next taste of bacon. Mmmm.
The three of us already in the elevator moved over and made room. Bono stood right next to me.
He said, “Let’s all hold hands together and it will all be all right.”
Everyone laughed. I like how he turned the elevator crowd into a performance. That’s an art form.
I said to him, “No it won’t.”
He turned to me and laughed.
He and his friends started talking a bit.
We had 30 more floors to go. They said something and Bono leaned to me. “There are some strange people in this elevator,” and he pointed at his friends.
I said, “It might not be a good idea to make friends in elevators.” He laughed.
We landed on the first floor. Everyone piled out. Bono and I were in the back. He started to walk out.
Then he quickly turned to me and hugged me.
“It’s going to be all right.”
Then he rushed out of the elevator.
—
I told Robyn the story when she got to breakfast.
Keto breakfast. But then I had potatoes.
She said, “You should’ve asked him to come on your podcast!”
“Ugh, maybe you’re right. I was acting all cool. But maybe I didn’t want to seem like a salesman. People probably ask him to do things for them all the time.”
“Still,” she said.
—
But he reminded me.
Whenever I am stressed about something — if business is a mess one day, if I’m nervous on stage, if I’m late for an important appointment…
If someone in my family is upset at me. If I’m afraid about money, or I feel over-stressed about my schedule…
I always tell myself it’s going to be all right.
And I always feel relief. For a brief moment it always feels true. Like I just surrendered to the Force.
Still.
Like the mess of chemicals and emotions in my head, chest, stomach are all slurped up by the straw of a god. Straight out of the top of my head. Leaving me empty. Clean.
Because years later the world still spins, the people chatter and make their new faces. The troubles shift like Viewmaster images.
“Everything’s going to be all right,” Bono said and hugged me and I felt happy.
Still.
