A Life Worth Living

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One of the greatest joys is watching my boys discover the same music that shaped me. Hearing them blast the songs I grew up with is something I never expected, but it’s become one of my favorite parts of being a dad.

Last year I took my family to see Metallica in Santa Clara. Watching both Dylan & Vincent experience that type of atmosphere for the first time was unforgettable.

Somewhere along the way, both of my younger boys fell in love with System of a Down. That band instantly transported me back to high school and the years that followed. Their music became therapy. I can’t count the number of nights I spent driving with the windows down, headed to work, Rosarito, or nowhere in particular, just turning the volume all the way up and letting those songs drown out everything else.

After being apart for fifteen years, System of a Down announced a short World Tour. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be flying to Mexico City with my middle son to see them together.

Daddy makes it happen.

It was our first trip with just the two of us. Our first flight together. Our first time wandering a city neither of us had ever been to. Looking back, so many parts of my life seemed to come together on that trip.

As we walked through the neighborhood, we stumbled across a street lined with music shops. Of course we had to stop. Dylan picked up different guitars and started playing like he’d been there before. Moments like that remind me that music isn’t something you teach, sometimes it’s just something that’s already inside you.

Just down the street was Anthony Bourdain’s ultimate favorite spot in Mexico City, Taqueria Los Cocuyos, a Michelin Star rated spot and Naturally, we had to eat there. The tacos were incredible, I grabbed a cold beer and we dug in.

Eventually we called an Uber and made our way to the venue. Mexico City is massive. As we got closer, the streets filled with thousands of fans wearing shirts, waving flags, and buying merchandise. Seeing Dylan take it all in—the excitement, the energy, trying to decide which shirt to buy—was almost as fun as the concert itself.

Once inside, I did what any dad would do… I found the beer stand.

Double fisting, we made our way to our seats and waited.

The anticipation was electric.

Then the lights went down.

From the first note, the crowd exploded.

Standing next to my son, singing every word to songs that carried me through different chapters of my own life, is something I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to fully describe. I felt excitement. I felt gratitude. I felt pride. I felt proud.

Most of all, I felt something quietly telling me:

“Damn, David… you continue to make it happen.”

Not because of money.

Not because of success.

Because I was standing in another country with my son. We traveled together. We ate incredible food. We shared music that means something to both of us. We created a memory neither of us will ever lose.

Those are the moments that define a life.

And to me…

That’s a life worth living.

-D.Rep99