The Fire

This song has helped me in so many ways. I remember when this album came out, I had a few months clean. I was living in an apartment that I could hardly afford, with a room mate I hardly knew. I had to take the bus to a phone sales job where i would go through a predictive dial-er and say the same pitch over and over again to people that would tell me to fuck off and hang up on me over and over again. I made 350 bucks a week. I hated it.

I was so miserable. Had a few months sober. Had no clue what I was doing. The worst part (and this is going to sound like I'm being such a baby) was that my bus stop was always on the side of the street that the sun was beaming on. So on my way to and home from work my bus stop was on the west side of the road in the morning, and the east side of the road in the evening. It was my first summer in Florida and I swear, the sun would torture me. I will never forget standing at the bus stop every morning with that fucking sun. It was the worst.

I would listen to this song every morning. I still listen to it. Right now I am listening to it. Here's what it tells me. 

We... are all on our own.

I don't mean to make it sound all depressing. We all have support, and friends, and family, and people who will help us along the way. What I mean is that when push comes to shove, no one will ever do the work for you. It's up to you, and you alone. When you feel like shit, and you don't know why.... When the world is fighting you. No one is going to get you out of bed. No one is going to put your clothes on for you. No one.

That's why this song (and this band) mean so much to me. They have always inspired me because I know that if they could do it, so can I. The Roots got out of Philly and rose above all the bullshit and followed their hearts and now they get to live their lives and see the world. 

It's The Fire inside us that burns. Some people burn brighter than others. Right now. I am burning.