Some people think that a good job
A nice house
A clean car
A beautiful wife
and a safe neighborhood
Are all that you need in life
Yeah
And some people are miserable
I can not say that I have reached the top
And therefore have a clear view of what it is like
I can not say that I know for sure that security and comfort
Will NOT solve all of life’s problems, and that it will leave you empty
But on my way up
I smelled the stench of complacency from above
And abandoned the battle upward
I don’t need to see the top
I see the bodies falling to the ground
I do not want to live shopping spree to shopping spree
Waiting for Apple or Sony to tantilize my senses
And leave my wallet feeling light
I do not want to survive on the fuel of consumer spending
A small shot of life with every transaction
As if more stuff could validate my character
I do not want to get off on telling others about all the great stuff I own
That feels like I am covering a wound
Or hiding my broken face behind a three thousand dollar television
Or a thirty-grand tank, or anything that you don’t have yet
I want to leave all of that thinking in the dust
I want to get down from this climbing
I want to end this race towards… towards what?
Feeling alone in an expensive suit with vodka staining each word
That slips from my tired mouth
In a retirement village for those who have made it?
I believe dying rich and dying poor is still dying.
So what matters then?
Now matters. Right now.
These moments with my wife and daughter
These days of laughter and adventure
Making and sharing memories
Constructing a house out of them
That no theif could steal from, no fire could burn
But we can not do that here… in this place where dreams have died for many.
You can see them piling up on the sides of the roads
Glass bottles with notes in them
“Spend time with my kids. Show my wife I care about her. Give away more. Serve Others”
Abandoned.
This place has eaten what matters
In an attempt at not feeling fear, or pain, or hunger – we have effectively executed life
So we are leaving
Who knows if the place we are headed for is any better
Or any worse
All I know is that we can’t stay, we can’t hold on because we are not happy here
I welcome the sun setting on this chapter of my world
The night will bring new scenery
And when the morning sun rises on a new day
The dawn will bring hope, peace, and energy
Some people think it’s silly to leave it all behind
Because they can’t be sure what they’ll find
Just around the corner, just around the bend
I’ll send a postcard; I’ll send photographs
And I hope you see it’s worth it, to leave
