The Strange/Sad U2 Coincidence

Last night I went to the U2 concert in Boston. And halfway through, when they were playing Faraway So Close, I realized something: The two previous times I had seen them live, one of my brothers was in the Hospital. Both times I had bought the tickets well in advance and one was for them.

The first time in 1997, Tito was in Houston in the hospital. He was very excited we were going to the concert, we had bought the tickets together when things seemed to be getting better. He wanted a t-shirt. I couldn't help crying through half the songs, particularly during One.

One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night
One love
We get to share it
Leaves you baby if you
Don't care for it

Eight years later, in February 2006, Juan Pa was in the hospital after a very serious operation The hospital was so close to the stadium (and the people so loud) he could hear them singing. Once again, one of the tickets was his. I called him when they played Pride.

Funny how we naturally try to draw inference from these very sporadic events. There is absolutely no relation between U2 and my brothers' illnesses. But both events are linked together in my memory, and in the concert I'm at the same time in Mexico, in Boston, now, and 12 years into the past, worried and feeling guilty I'm there.