Today we drove to Richmond to take The Walk with Hanson. Before each concert, Hanson joins fans for a one-mile walk to raise awareness and money to help fight poverty and AIDS in Africa. They've paired up with former Amazing Racer Blake Mycoskie, who created TOMS Shoes. When you buy one pair of TOMS shoes, another pair is donated to a child in poverty. Hanson is going to deliver shoes from The Walk Tour to children in South Africa.
The fact that Hanson is willing to brave a couple hundred pushy fans nearly every day on this walk is a testament to their dedication to the cause. All along the walk, Taylor stopped periodically to remind people that global problems like AIDS and poverty aren't as insurmountable as they seem. Simple acts, like walking a mile, giving a child a pair of shoes, buying a CD, or volunteering for a few hours a week in one's own community are ways to make a difference. It may seem like a drop in a bucket, but that one drop stops the bucket from being empty - instantly.
Philanthropy and puppies aside, walking with Hanson was one of the most entertaining experiences of my life. I saw a girl sneak up behind Isaac and run her hand down his entire back. Creepy! I saw two girls running, sweat pouring down their faces, to get next to Taylor, who by the way, has chest hair. Taylor! Has chest hair! WTF!?! I also saw enough muffin tops to last me a lifetime. Girls, girls, girls. Take my advice. I, too, have curves. Low rise jeans were not made for us. Stop wearing them. You can be adorable without your entire ass hanging out. I promise.
At one point, I found myself serendipitously walking next to Ike. He asked where folks were from, so I chimed in.
"We're from DC," I said.
"Oh, cool. And you guys are from? Richmond, cool. Wow, you guys are all the way from Arizona? We definitely have full geographical representation here today!"
"I think we're the oldest people here who aren't supervising a minor."
"Ha ha!" Ike laughed. "How old are you guys?"
"I'm 37 and he's 34. We represent the over-30 fan base," I said.
"Cool! I'm getting pretty close to 30 myself," Ike said.
"Welcome to the club," I replied.
I asked him how he was feeling after a recent health scare that I'd read about in the news. Ike has a rare condition that makes him prone to blood clots, which can be extremely serious and definitely quite scary. He said it was a good thing he was in good health, and I replied that I hoped it didn't happen again. Then someone pushed me out of the way and that was the end of that. Too bad I didn't have time to tell him how much I loved their interview and performance on a recent Howard Stern show. Or run my hand down his back. NOT!
I did end up walking right behind Taylor and Zac at one point and I couldn't help but fixate on how alike they look from the back. They have the same exact incredible head of hair. Seriously, it's a crime that two married dudes should have such good hair. My examination of their follicles came to a halt when a young girl, about 11 or 12 years old, tapped me on the shoulder and asked if she could walk in front of me."
"NO!" I said jokingly. She looked horrified. "Of course you can!" I told her, and let her scoot ahead.
As the walk came to an end, Taylor, Zac and Isaac hung back to sign autographs and pose for photos while people purchased TOMS shoes and chatted them up. We didn't get a chance to get up to them before they had to head back to the tour bus and prepare for the evening show, but it was nice to see them interact with fans. They seem like a genuinely nice bunch of guys with good priorities and even better intentions in this life. I couldn't help but feel encouraged by this. Hanson warms my cold, cynical heart.
(We took a ton of pictures, including some closeups that will make the younger Hanson fan swoon and keel over, so I'll post a link to the flickr set once I have them up.)