I generally see myself as an optimist in life. You can ask around, “Hey, what’s Owen Hadzima like?” and you probably will get back, “He’s determined, uplifting, kind, hardworking, perseverant,” and likewise. That’s by design. I have been thrown around in my life thus far. 

I was born very premature, I had stomach issues at a young age, and I have had to address my mental health in the past few years. My parents would tell you that I’m a “miracle.” However, in my eyes, based on where I am now, I don’t see myself as a miracle. I see myself as someone who was meant to be put through trials and tribulations, and I see myself as someone who was going to get past early obstacles, no matter what. 

This brings me to the whole reason I am writing this: It’s the glass half-full mindset. 

My favorite band, AJR, has this kind of persona in their songs. Some might see their music as “negative” or “awkward” or whatever else. The lyrics aren’t “uplifting” to the naked eye, but the “uplifting” part of their music comes from their actual, well, music! 

The jumpy, bouncy melodies in their songs topple over their lyrics, and although they aren’t the most positive things, how do most people see AJR’s music? Well, the lyrics aren’t that important to the outsiders. It’s all about the melodies they hear. 

Even though I have had to endure negative lyrics, negative moments, in life, I am able to hear the melodies and let them blanket whatever could bring me down. Which brings me to my next point: What happens when you get so excited for something, and then you get let down when you can’t experience it, or it doesn’t happen? 

There is something called “negative effect.” According to this website, it’s when the brain naturally reacts with more force to negative events than positive ones. As humans, we utilize this “negative effect” more than anything else when something bad happens, because, well, it’s negative! You tend to forget a positive experience or moment because a negative experience or moment ruined that prior jubilation. 

Jubilation occurred for me this past summer. I was surprised with tickets about a week prior to AJR’s concert that was set to be on July 6th of last year. At the American Family Insurance Amphitheater, Milwaukee’s famous “SummerFest,” I was going to be left of the stage, about ten or so rows back.

I was stunned, and I hadn’t really processed it or gotten pumped up about it until July 1st, a Saturday. The jubilation arrived. Then came the negative moment. 

A notification popped up from AJR’s Twitter account at about noon or so. I clicked on it, and I read two major things. First, AJR’s father, Gary Met, had been really sick for a while and the brothers of AJR wanted to spend as much time with their dad as possible before he passed. Second, AJR said because of their need to cherish the time they had left with their Dad, they would be canceling their upcoming July shows. 

I felt bad for the brothers about their dad – we fans had gotten a bit restless without any news of their upcoming album “The Maybe Man” – and now we knew why news wasn’t coming out. I felt for Gary, for AJR, because of their situation. 

I secondly was in denial about the concert. “They wouldn’t cancel ours, right?” I said to my parents. AJR did cancel ours. 

It’s surprising to me what happened next, looking back on it now, but I quickly changed my tune about the whole thing. “God is going to give me something bigger,” I echoed throughout the day. 

In today’s world, receiving the news of your favorite band’s concert being canceled is cause for a fiery response. Knowing what my life has thrown at me, that wasn’t going to happen. I knew two things: One, AJR will play concerts in the future. Two, God always has a more fruitful plan than us, and I am just going to trust His direction. A turning point in God’s avenue for my life came in November. 

I was in Culinary, and I was talking to my teacher about a food-serving opportunity at Follies. As our conversation was going on, my eyes kept turning their attention down to my phone that had texts containing something about an AJR concert. I served food at Fall Follies (such a fun time, by the way), and I will, barring any unforeseen circumstances, see AJR on July 4th of this year, 2024, at the Milwaukee American Family Insurance Amphitheater. 363 days to the DAY I was going to see AJR last year. The SAME venue. Nearly the SAME seat. But better. I will be in the PIT. RIGHT in front of arguably my three favorite brothers in the world (Tyler will always be number one). That’s what my eyes were seeing, and now my physical body will be experiencing an AJR concert during their biggest tour – ever – which is “The Maybe Man” Arena Tour. 

When we look at negative events, perhaps such as a game you were looking forward to but it gets rained out, a music festival tomorrow that gets canceled because there aren’t enough workers to run it, and anything else in between, we see it as a total negative. That there is nothing we can do about it. Maybe we can’t do anything about it, maybe we can’t do anything about AJR canceling a concert you just got excited for – but what we can do is create a meaningful and positive response to it. 

Who knows? Perhaps the “good part” will come around sooner than you think with this frame of mind.