"if you're not laughing, who is laughing now?"

let me tell you a little story about a band named needtobreathe.

i think most of the people who actually read this already know about them, but if you do not for some insane reason, stop reading right now and go listen to them on itunes. unless you can't because you're at work, and then, shame on you. go back to work.

i'm a seasonal music person; some types of music just go better with the cold weather. now, it could be that their past two CDs have been released in the fall, or it brings back memories of going to shipwrecked at furman, but needtobreathe has always been a fall band for me.

so the other day, one of their new songs, "the outsiders" came on during a run, and i had a little moment. i was running the bridges, and as i came onto the frazier side of the walking bridge, the sun was setting just over lookout mountain, and the whole sky was beautifully orange and reflecting into the river. and the normal hilarious collection of people were on the bridge: hippies playing guitars, homeless people with their pots out, high school kids taking 9834983 pictures, families coming from clumpies, etc.

i got kind of nostalgic about the past 2 1/2 years in my crazy, hilarious life in this eclectic city that i live in with all the people i've come to know and all the times i've looked around and thought "seriously: what the hell am i doing??"

and................... i'm kind of going to miss it.

the outsiders
needtobreathe

shortfalls and little sins
close calls where no one wins
stand tall, we're runnin' thin
i'm wearing thin.

oh, why are we keeping score?

'cause if you're not laughing,
who is laughing now?
i've been wondering:
if we start sinking,
would we stand our ground?
and through everything we've learned
we've finally come to terms
we are the outsiders.

i'm not leaving without a fight.
i've got my holsters around my side
just 'cause i'm wrong,
it don't make you right.
no you ain't right.

oh, why are we keeping score?

'cause if you're not laughing,
who is laughing now?
i've been wondering:
if we start sinking
would we stand our ground?
and through everything we've learned
we've finally come to terms
we are the outsiders.

on the outside
you're free to roam.
on the outside
we've found a home.
on the outside
there's more to see.
on the outside
we choose to be.



((of course, after that, "ice cream paint job" came on, and that kinda ruined the moment...))