“Standing Inside The Fire” sounds pretty dangerous, painful, and just plain stupid. So why is it the title to my blog? It’s not that personal, deep, or profound. It’s inspired by a song by country legend, Garth Brooks. I wouldn’t call myself a country music fan by any means but Garth Brooks holds a special place in my heart. Perhaps I’m not a country fan because none of this new “bro country” compares to the likes of Garth. Growing up, my older brother Sean and I listened to his “The Hits” album from ’94 on repeat. 
We spent a lot of time with our grandparents, even moving in with them after our parents split. It was one of those CDs in my grandmother’s glove box and we never grew tired of it. We knew every word to every song. I remember I even had his “Double Live” concert on cassette from ’98. From the age of 4 to 9 I lived in a house that was right across from the entrance of a campground. They would have karaoke every Saturday and my family and I used to go and 8 or 9 year old me would get up there and sing strictly Garth Brooks tunes. Of course then it was adorable but as I grew up I realized I had no singing ability whatsoever.
So back to the title of my blog, it comes from Garth’s song, “Standing Outside the Fire” which is one of my favorites. I think I even quoted it in my high school yearbook. It’s hard to believe this song is over 20 years old and is still so good. Here are the lyrics for those who aren’t familiar, take the minute to read them:
We call them cool
Those hearts that have no scars to show
The ones that never do let go
And risk the tables being turned
We call them fools
Who have to dance within the flame
Who chance the sorrow and the shame
That always comes with getting burned
But you’ve got to be tough when consumed by desire
‘Cause it’s not enough just to stand outside the fire
We call them strong
Those who can face this world alone
Who seem to get by on their own
Those who will never take the fall
We call them weak
Who are unable to resist
The slightest chance love might exist
And for that forsake it all
They’re so hell-bent on giving ,walking a wire
Convinced it’s not living if you stand outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you’re standing outside the fire
There’s this love that is burning
Deep in my soul
Constantly yearning to get out of control
Wanting to fly higher and higher
I can’t abide
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you’re standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Standing outside the fire
Life is not tried, it is merely survived
If you’re standing outside the fire
SO GOOD RIGHT?! Every word, every line speaks to me and is a reflection of my outlook on life. Everyone gets burned, scorned, in life. But that shouldn’t keep us from getting up and trying again. “We call them weak Who are unable to resist The slightest chance love might exist And for that forsake it all…” How often do we see our Facebook friends get dumped and swear off the opposite sex and love forever? Why play it safe when you could be missing out on a wonderful opportunity?
We should all be hell-bent on giving and not be afraid to walk the wire because we’re here on this earth to thrive not merely survive. So get in that fire. It could hurt and it could leave lasting marks but, it’s worth it. I could go “under fire” for some things I write on here. For sharing my views and opinions but that’s ok. I feel that playing it safe and being liked by everyone is a huge warning sign that someone isn’t being real. You can bet I’ll be real in this blog. I may touch on controversial topics, my Christian faith, my day to day observations, and more reaction posts such as my “Engaged at 23” entry. This blog is my perspective from inside the flames of life. Won’t you join me?
I’ll end with the seemingly ancient music video for Standing Outside the Fire. With it’s early 90’s cheesy dramatics and story line I thought I’d save the video until the end after you’ve read the lyrics and found your own meaning in them. Enjoy!
Oh and the fact that Garth recently announced he was going back on tour after taking years off to raise his daughters is one of the most exciting things I’ve heard in a while. You better believe I’ll spare no expense to get front row seats if he comes to Maine. I’ll be like a 14 year old girl at a Justin Bieber concert. Long live The Garth.
Standing Inside The Fire 