Music Monday: Road Trips, Camp Friends, and Philosophy Of Loss

[From a post on the Book of Faces] I want to tell you about my good friend Brina. She was able to get some tickets to see the Indigo Girls last night at App State and had a plan to have former camp folk come up to share what is absolutely a core memory for those of us in the Bob Lanford/Jimmy Moor/Bob Cagle eras of Camp Glisson.

Sadly, as is the case when you try to get as many of us as you can together - even those who live fairly close to each other, life gets in the way. But a few of us battled rain and snow to get there and as always, Amy and Emily did not disappoint. 

I needed to be with those people and hear that music. I needed to laugh at a memory of Robby shrieking at the line, "are you on fire?" in the middle of Kid Fears. I needed to get big, happy tears in my eyes as Brina and I sang along to The Wood Song. I needed to be overly amazed with Malinda's gracious and wonderful son Harper, whom I hadn't met other than in Facebook photos. And I needed a non-camp friend like Amanda to go along because sometimes I'm not at back to normal as I think I am AND she loves the Indigo Girls with a Glisson-adjacent fervor. 

All of us Glisson alums have busy, vibrant lives...and yet, we can come together in a moment and I'm 18 again and standing outside the Chapel, hearing that bell ring.  Then, we depart to serve until the next time. 

To quote the Girls..."Thanks, y'all."

The song that I've chosen is one of my favorites but it is a little hard to find because it was released as a part of another song on the album Come on Now, Social. Just go to the reprise of Faye Tucker/Sister at the end of the album and after your soul has been wrung out over and over and you've just nearly gotten it back from the edge...you'll hear this song. It speaks to me on a preacher's kid level - that's the best way I can describe it. Friday night they sang Faye Tucker and Sister and afterward I was hoping for this one, but it wasn't the time, I suppose...so I just remained wrung out. Enjoy.

Philosophy of Lossby the Indigo Girls
Welcome to why the church has diedIn the heart of the exiled in the kingdom of hateWho owns the land & keeps the commandsAnd marries itself to the state
Modern scribes write in Jesus ChristEveryone is freeAnd the doors open wide to all straight men & womenBut they are not open to me
And who is teaching kids to be soldiersTo be marked by a plain white crossAnd we kill just a little to save a lot moreThe philosophy of loss
There are a few who would be true out of loveAnd love is hardAnd don't think that our hands haven't shoveled the dirtOver their central American graveyards
Doctors & witch hunters stripped you bareLeft you nothing for your earthly sinsYeah but who made this noise just a bunch of boysAnd the one with the most toys wins
Who is teaching kids to be gamblersLife is a coin tossAnd of course what you give up is what you gainThe philosophy of loss
Whatever has happened to anyone elseCould happen to you & to meAnd the end of my youth was the possible truthThat it all happens randomly
Who is teaching kids to be leadersand the way that it is meant to bethe philosophy of loss