Welcome back to the next edition of the 311 fan spotlight? Are you ready to meet another awesome person? Let’s learn the story of Nikki Harrison!
It was Nikki’s ex-boyfriend that introduced her to the magic of 311. They went to 311 Day together twice, then one of the cruises. It was 311 Day 2010 that sparked her interest in the band but it was the 2013 cruise that made her a true fan. “That ex and I had a very messy break up and I found that I gravitated toward 311’s music to help me through that time. 311 Day 2014 was my first 311 Day after my ex and I broke up. I had decided not to go when the break up happened. But I stayed active on Facebook and “met” a bunch of people. I met Jennifer (Williams) Tucker in person for the first time when she came to my home 12 hours before we embarked on a road trip to NOLA. I met so many people on that trip that I now call my 311 family. That trip was a turning point in my life. It was 6 months after my break up and the point where I decided to push forward and not look back. I actually call the time before 311 Day 2014 my old life and the time since, my new life.”
As for show tally, Nikki lost count somewhere in her mid 30’s. She believes she is well over 50 at this point. First show for her she believes was during the summer tour of 2009 in St. Louis. “I was a casual fan then, so I’m not 100% sure which show was my first.” As for her favorite events, it was the four cruises she went on. “Especially the 2015 Jamaica cruise.”
The song that Nikki said means the most to her is “Golden Sunlight.” “I am a creature of habit and don’t like change. I’m hesitant to take chances. I’m a very guarded person. I have to remind myself sometimes to “go beyond in the great unknown.”
Some of her favorite lyrics also come from her favorite song: “What if I could just let my guard down, what if I could live wide open, yeah. What if I could just let my guard down, and go beyond into the great unknown.” Another one of Nikki’s favorite lyrics comes from “Beyond the Grey Sky:” “Don’t give up the fight to stay alive and even if you have to, find the reason of another’s pain if they lose you. If not for yourself then those around who care like I do, one day you’ll see the clear blue.”
Nikki grew up less than an hour outside of St. Louis, Missouri, in a small community. When it was time for college she moved to St. Louis where she stayed until about 3 years ago, when she moved into her grandmother’s house a little closer to her hometown. “I’ve been renovating for the past 7 years. At 30 years old I decided working in advertising wasn’t fulfilling. I was part of a massive layoff when the company I worked for went bankrupt. Two months later I started my pre-reqs for nursing school. I’ve been a nurse for over 7 years now and I love it. I am a critical care cardiac surgery and pulmonary nurse. Cardiac surgery is definitely my calling. I’ve been an intermediate level COVID nurse for the better part of the past 2 years. My unit is cross trained for the ICU so we got a lot of ICU overflow. It has definitely changed who I am as a nurse. I’ve seen things no one should ever see, more death and sadness than one lifetime should experience. But it gave me a new appreciation of family, life. It taught me a lot about myself. I’m a healer, a problem solver. The hardest thing for me to accept is when I can no longer find the answer, when I can’t fix the problem. It also made me realize unhealthy habits, like how I channel stress, anxiety, and sadness.”
Fun fact you may not know about Nikki is that she was named after a cartoon character! “My real name is Nichol and my dad got the name and unique spelling from a comic strip.” Unique attribute for her is that she has an empathetic and caring nature. “According to a close knit group of girlfriends, I have a “willingness to go the extra mile for others.”
Guilty pleasure for Nikki is that she loves the oldies. “I was raised on music out of the 50s and 60s. The Beach Boys are my favorite band.” When not listening to 311 or The Beach Boys, she can be found listening to Disturbed, Korn, Breaking Benjamin, Avenged Sevenfold, Papa Roach, Halestorm, he Urge, Stick Figure, Rebelution, Slightly Stoopid, The Offspring, and Real Big Fish, just to name a few.
To 311, Nikki would like to send this meaningful message: “Thank you for helping me put my life back together.”
For her message to all the other 311 fans out there, Nikki chose to quote 311:
“It’s been a wild ride, I wouldn’t change a minute. I can’t slow down inside, guess that’s why I live it!”
Many thanks to Nikki for sharing her story! As always, so much gratitude going out to all who read each week. Until next time, go be awesome!
Much Love – The Runt