I want matinee concerts, matinee dinners, and matinee everything. At 46, I'm done pretending I want to stay up late.

The author enjoys going to bed early.

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The last time I left my house for a nighttime event that had me awake past midnight was Elton John's concert in Detroit during his "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" tour. By the time my spouse and I were seated at 8 p.m., during the opening bars of "Bennie and the Jets," I was already wondering how I was going to survive not just the night but the next two days as well.Before this concert, the last time I was sentient past midnight was during my engagement in Rome — I learned the hard way that Romans eat late dinners and stay up even later.

The author and her husband went to see Elton John.

Courtesy of the author