Find the strength to see this through…

So the last track was pretty dark, and when I get those urges to just abandon everyone and everything, and turn my back on the world, it helps to remind me that it’s okay to feel that way sometimes.

But doing it would be giving up, and I’m actually not big on the concept of giving up.

Sometimes shit sucks.  Are you going to sit there and wallow, or are you going to strap your boots on, pull up your big-girl panties, and deal with it?

Otherwise is one of my all-time favorite bands.  Yeah, I know you’ve never heard of them.  No one has, because they’ve never been signed to a major record label.

Which is a fucking travesty, m’kay.

This band is amazing.  I mean, I know I’m biased because they’re from my hometown, but even just objectively, they’re amazing.  And my favorite song from them is We Are Soldiers.  The music video is awesome, and also filmed here in Vegas (bonus, one of my exes, and the one who gets credit for me knowing about the existence of the band, shows up in this video.  This was shot long after we broke up, but he’s still wearing something I gave him.  I awwed).

My daughter loves this song too, and we’ll often blast it as loud as the speakers will go.  She’s got good taste in music.  And this is one of those awesome, feel-good songs.

Everyone’s got battles to fight.  For some, that’s quite literal, and they risk their lives, and give their lives, for the safety and wellbeing of people they’ve never met.

For the rest of us, it’s usually more figurative, and even the ones who faced literal battles aren’t done fighting when they come home.  Everyone has their own battles to fight.  It’s about whether they have the strength to keep fighting when shit gets rough.

Because regardless of who you are or where you come from, shit is going to get rough.  You may have faced incredible pain in the past.  Awesome.  You’re not done.  You’re going to face pain again.  And again.

And again.

There are two kinds of people in this world.  There are those who shut down or turn their backs or give up when things get hard, and there are those who fight even when they’re exhausted and overwhelmed, even when it looks hopeless, even when giving up looks so attractive.  Those who will never be broken.

So yeah, shit sucks sometimes.  Sometimes you’re tempted to turn your back on the world.  Sometimes you’re tempted to walk away.

And that’s okay, there’s nothing wrong with feeling like that.  But it’s up to you whether you’re going to let it beat you, or whether you’ll strap your boots on, rub the blood out of your eyes, and find the strength to see it through.

Track Three: We Are Soldiers by Otherwise

 

It’s time to strap our boots on

This is a perfect day to die

Wipe the blood out of our eyes

In this life there’s no surrender

There’s nothing left for us to do

Find the strength to see this through

 

We are the ones who will never be broken

With our final breath, we’ll fight to the death

We are soldiers, we are soldiers

 

I stand here right beside you

Tonight we’re fighting for our lives

Let me hear your battle cry

Your battle cry

 

We are the ones who will never be broken

With our final breath, we’ll fight to the death

We are soldiers, we are soldiers

 

We are the ones who will not go unspoken

No, we will not sleep, we are not sheep

We are soldiers, we are soldiers

 

We stand, shoulder to shoulder

We stand, shoulder to shoulder

We stand, shoulder to shoulder

You can’t erase us, you’ll just have to face us

 

We are the ones who will never be broken

With our final breath, we’ll fight to the death

We are soldiers, we are soldiers

We are the ones who will not go unspoken

No, we will not sleep, we are not sheep

We are soldiers, we are soldiers