What's Your Anthem?

I took a short drive to a nearby town to grab some hot tea and get some writing done. I was in dire need of a break from radio music, so I looked through the CD collection that was stashed in the console of my parents’ car. I was a little bit skeptical after the first one read, “Dad’s Songs” and the second choice was “Now 14.” The next CD read, “Goob,” a shortened version of my sister’s nickname. This could get interesting.

It was as if my sister was reading my mind. The CD was a mixture of acoustic rock from a few years ago. While a lot of it was pretty depressing (Hinder… Sarah, really?), much of it was just what I wanted to hear. I belted out the lyrics and may have even closed my eyes a few times. Good thing I’ve driven that Iowa highway countless times.

It is always interesting to see how people put together their own mix of songs on a CD. You can really tell a lot about people and what is going on in their lives by what’s pumping on their iPod. It is a simple pleasure of mine to flip through old CDs. I always find myself saying, “What was I thinking?”

The last song that played before I reached The Coffee Attic was “Stand” by Rascal Flatts. I’m not afraid to say that I am a fan. I found myself really listening to the lyrics.

“You might bend, till you break

Cause its all you can take

On your knees you look up

Decide you’ve had enough

You get mad, you get strong

Wipe your hands, shake it off

Then you stand”

The truth is, we don’t know why things happen; we don’t know what is going to happen next. All we can do is look up and move forward.

“Life’s like a novel

With the end ripped out

The edge of a cannon

With only one way down”

This brought me back to this quote: “It isn’t what happens that matters. It’s how we handle it.” I hate to say it, but attitude is everything. It’s time to take matters into your own hands – control what you can.

So, is this my anthem? Different songs speak to me during different times of my life. On my drive for that hot cup of tea, this was my anthem. What is yours?