What a week.

Honestly, I considered skipping the blog today because I felt like there were so many other thoughts, opinions, and comments saturating our feeds that our voice wouldn’t be missed. While that is likely true, I also thought about what G said last week about what is also true.

So, I got firmly in our lane and reflected on our purpose, which is not our country’s current events. Our purpose is to tell stories about our own lives as a creative outlet, and we hope you find them relatable.

Interestingly, I heard this same sentiment at a concert this week, which drove the point home even further. Andy and I went to see Red Clay Strays, which is classified as a country band, but according to them, they are pure rock ‘n roll. Before going to their show, I had listened to a few songs, but honestly, I didn’t know any of the lyrics or what to expect, so I went with zero preconceived notions.

My initial thought when they walked onto the stage was that the lead singer was a little quirky. He was dressed in a suit, and his hair was perfectly combed back and sprayed to perfection. His voice was mesmerizing, even if his presence seemed a bit awkward at first. He felt like a cross between Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Chris Stapleton. He had a little swagger that you could feel beneath the surface of his stoicism, and you were just waiting for it to be unleashed.

They played some incredible music, and after just a few songs, they fully had our attention. The lead singer began to slowly loosen up and tell the story behind each song, while giving us glimpses of his personality along the way. They took us on a journey of struggle and despair, and simultaneously encouraged anyone needing help to ask for it. With songs like, Drowning and Devil in my Ear you felt the weight of those moments.

And then he began the part of the show that he called the uplifting, hopeful part. This is where he showed his true colors and passion for his art. He put down his guitar, which, while he had many, seemed to be an additional appendage. He sat down at the piano and sang from his heart. His stories spoke of sunshine and God not giving up on him. Between the songs, he said, “We don’t want to be defined as a Christian band, but we write songs about our lives, and God is a big part of who we are. We aren’t trying to be famous, we just want to be able to support a family off of writing and playing music. This is who we are. And then they took us to church with their song, On My Knees. Honestly, I felt like I was at a revival rather than a rock concert at that point, and I’m not going to lie, it felt exactly right.

The point of this whole story is not that you should go see The Red Clay Strays if you have the opportunity, but you absolutely should. The point of this story is that they know who they are, quirks and all, and they live out their purpose on that stage, and to put an exclamation point on that sentiment, they end with a song called, No One Else Like Me.

As we all move through this next week, let’s think about our own stories. We don’t need to be experts in all things, and we don’t need to mold ourselves into something we are not. We just need to be ourselves. Sure, people might think we’re a little quirky at first, but if we are also good and kind, they will learn to appreciate us for who we are.