U2 and me

U2 has been my talisman for many years. I've seen them 4 times. Their music speaks to my soul about what it means to be Irish. Anywhere. I was in Dublin a bit ago. My first time. I was standing in front of the Claridge Hotel trying to take a picture when an Irish guy walked past....stopped....and whispered conspiratorally, "you know who owns that?" I smiled, as my partner got frustrated at not being able to take the shot, "yeah, I do," I said. "okay," he said, and walked off. We took the shot. It sits in my office, and when all hell is breaking loose, I look at it as cross to my desk, and its calming, despite what"s about to happen.
My sister and I went to see the U2 3D movie in Vegas. We were the only two people in the theater. We had a great time. It was amazing. We also saw U2 in November after 9/11. That was the single most important concert I've ever been a part of. I don't have language that describes what I felt that night as the names of the missing and lost were projected over the venue and Bono wrapped himself carefully, lovingly, in an American flag.
U2 has been a part of my life for 30 years. My older daughter remembers waking up to them every sunday when it was my only day off. I would get up early.....do the weekly shopping.....buy bagels....and the paper....and come home. Everyone would get up late but that was okay. I would make coffee, eat a bagel, read the paper, and listen to U2. She claims to be stunted having to wake up every sunday that way.
So many songs. Bad. Sunday Bloody Sunday. City of Blinding Lights. Angel of Harlem. I will Follow. So many lines. I'm not broken but you can see the cracks. And my favorite.
"What happened to the beauty I had inside myself." I honestly don't know.