The last time I saw Willie Nelson was the week of my birthday in February of this year. I drove up to Northridge to the Valley Performing Arts Center. Since I’ve been so dedicated to seeing Willie anytime he plays around me, I’ve been fortunate to see him in all sorts of venues — a bar, the Ryman, festivals, theaters. VPAC was nice. I had a seat way down front on the aisle.

Willie and the Family were great as usual. If I’d taken the time to write up the show right after it happened, I’d have more details. As happens every time I see him, I just soak up the magic of this 80 year old man doing his thing night after night. I love it.

I did finally get to shake Willie’s hand that evening. After his last song, Willie hangs out on stage and signs things, allows pictures, accepts gifts and shakes hands. At VPAC, the crowd was polite and didn’t crush forwards so quickly. So I got up there and shook his hand. Willie has a firm grip. He shook my hand and he looked right in my eyes. He took a moment to do it. This wasn’t a rock star slapping hands as he runs down a stage. This was a gentleman greeting another man. It was touching.