Music (Alter Bridge) Saved My Life

[Jim]

Ok, so where do i start?

You know how songs can really speak to you? When the lyrics that person has written, are written with such clear conviction, and from such an experienced being that they bleed into you? The words attach themselves to your soul and a light bulb clicks on in your head to make you think it was written about you...? Well, i never really had that, until this year.

2012 has been probably the worst year of my life. I know, many of you know i lost my father in 2007 to a freak car accident. An event that was nothing but fate picking it's moment.. But 2012 has been the year that has had me at a place in my life i have never been, and never want to be again. In January, i had my heart broken, pretty horrifically i'd say (not by my sons mother, shes a dick and i left her 3 years ago). Out of the blue i lost my best friend, my lover and who i thought would be my partner for a very long time. I had previously lost faith in love and she restored it, only to completely rip it away. Many people will say "shes not worth it", and believe me i heard it a thousand times. I told myself every day that nobody was worth the pain and suffering i ultimately put myself through as a result of a decision made by her.

Depression.
It's a word thrown around by moody teenagers, and lazy adults to make themselves feel better about having no motivation. It's a word abused and taken very lightly as it has become somewhat of an excuse for many actions, thought processes and decisions throughout the human race. Especially in modern times.
However, I was diagnosed with "severe depression" in February of this year. You might ask why i'm bothering to type this out and tell you all my most personal truths, but i feel this is somewhere i can really write it down. And i owe you all an explanation for my behaviour as of late. If you research "severe depression"; you will find the following symptoms -
- continuous low mood or sadness
- feeling hopeless and helpless
- having low self-esteem
- feeling tearful
- feeling guilt-ridden
- feeling irritable and intolerant of others
- having no motivation or interest in things
- finding it difficult to make decisions
- not getting any enjoyment out of life
- having suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming yourself
- feeling anxious or worried
-
- Moving or speaking more slowly than usual
- change in appetite or weight (usually decreased, but sometimes increased)
- constipation
- unexplained aches and pains
- lack of energy or lack of interest in sex
- changes to your menstrual cycle
- disturbed sleep (for example, finding it hard to fall asleep at night or waking up very early in the morning)
-
- not doing well at work
- taking part in fewer social activities and avoiding contact with friends
- neglecting your hobbies and interests
- having difficulties in your home and family life

Turns out, during a psychiatric assessment meeting that i had after the diagnosis of depression, turns out i ticked the box of about 80-85% of these symptoms. Which is borderline bi-polar according to my doctor. I was sick, very sick. Now it wasnt entirely down to the rough break up, i had been feeling extremely low for some time. Lack of motivation, no self esteem etc etc.. But I'd never really taken much notice of it, when others had. I just got on with things and thought that i was being normal. Apparently it wasnt and it bothered my loved ones. The break up sparked my previous "slump" to turn into a deep depression. Unfortunately.

Thankyou for reading this far, i know none of you probably give a shit about my problems, but i appreciate you getting this far if you have. There was a time where i would totally dwell on songs like "Adele - Someone Like You & Take It All".. "Black Stone Cherry - Stay" and "Alter Bridge - Shed My Skin".. Songs about being without, and lost. The relation to these songs was monumental, i couldn't turn them off as i allowed myself to dwell on how depressing and sad the topics of them are. This went on for months, i lost my job, i lost about 15lbs in weight, i didnt sleep and wouldn't get out of my bed for much more than a drink or to use the toilet every day. For such a long time... Some of you may remember me talking about this between February and early summer. Eventually "Shed My Skin" would turn into a positive, as i would literally speak the pre-chorus lyrics to myself in relation to my situation and how i was. The song being ultimately about changing from being in a dark place, to going into the light and happiness.. I later realised this and used it to build my moods up.
"It seems I've gone away
It seems I lost myself it seems I really lost my way
It seem I lost myself
It seems I Shed My Skin"
Amazing..

Alter Bridge - I Know It Hurts
And you say this ain't living
You say you can't go on
You only take as you've given
And now your hope is all but gone

Though you lost your way (Now is not forever)
But I know your pain

We all fall sometimes you're not the first
But I know it hurts, yeah I know it hurts
In the end you'll find what you deserve
Still I know it hurts, yeah I know it hurts

There are tides slowly rising, the storm is on it's way, yeah
But you can't keep on fighting, so battered, worn and so afraid
Though it's sad and wrong, I hope you will remember

You must carry on

We all fall sometimes you're not the first
But I know it hurts, yeah I know it hurts
In the end you'll find what you deserve
Still I know it hurts, yeah I know it hurts

There's still tomorrow, hold on, hold on
There's still tomorrow, just wait, just wait
There's still tomorrow, hold on, hold on

We all fall sometimes you're not the first
But I know it hurts, yeah I know it hurts
In the end you'll find what you deserve
Still I know it hurts, yeah I know it hurts

(i have highlighted the major parts of the song that spoke to me)

I dont know if anybody has REALLY let this song sink into them... But i did, massively. I would turn it up in my car or at home in my ears and let is fill me up with positivity. The lines that describe tomorrow being worth living for, was a huge wake up call. I'd never felt anything like it in my life. This came at the perfect moment in my life, as unfortunately and i'm ashamed to say it.. But i had reached a somewhat suicidal frame of mind. I know, i had a beautiful son and family to live for. But every single time i took my car out, i would fight with myself from driving it off a bridge or into a wall. I used to say to myself "it would only take a second"... Then this song would come on, and that would all go away. Nothing has every manipulated me like this. I would feel SO proud to relate to lyrics that WERENT full of depression and sadness. This song saved me, it saved my life and built me up.

I would like to apologise to everyone on here that i have ever offended, upset, pissed off or bothered during this year. Now maybe you can see what i've been going through.

Alter Bridge - Life Must Go On
Sitting alone in the cold of the night
You’re trying to find what you need to survive
You're so afraid
You can’t go on
Left in the silence that tears at your heart
It only reminds you how broken you are
You lost your way
But hope is not gone

Cause the sun always sets
The moon always falls
It feels like the end
Just pay no mind at all
And keep rolling
Rolling
Life must go on

Do you remember and long for the past
When love was eternal and joy seemed to last
Yesterday
Forever is gone

Cause the sun always sets
The moon always falls
It feels like the end
Just pay no mind at all
And keep rolling
Rolling
Life must go on
It must go on

We have our misfortunes
The darkest of days
But we must endure
And keep strong
Just look to the morning
The promise awaits
And know that this life must go on

And the sun always sets
The moon always falls
It feels like the end
Just pay no mind at all
And keep rolling
Rolling
Life must go on

And the sun always sets
The moon always falls
It feels like the end
Just pay no mind at all
And keep rolling
Keep rolling
Life must go on
It must go on

Life must go on
Life must go on
(When you feel you're awake)
So you keep holding on
Keep holding on
(We all have our mistakes)
Life must go on
Life must go on
So you keep holding on
Keep holding on

I know this song gets somewhat of a bad rap by most, for being cheesy or whatever. But when you go through something like i have this year, the actual words mean more to you than anything else. These 2 songs (along with another by 3 Doors Down) changed my world around and i am forever grateful to Alter Bridge for creating them. I hope many of you can understand what i've been rambling on about, and take in that i've actually had a very tough year. Luckily I'm actually on the up.

My best friend Greg (ex bass player from now disbanded Tequila Rockin'Bird) encouraged me to make a big step and apply for a degree illustration course back in June/July. So i did it, on the spot i took to my laptop, found the course and i went for it. That was my first major turning point. It's been up hill since then too.. With a steady job and somewhat better health, things are better for me.

I hope some of you care about me, i know im a complete stranger and come across like a total dickhead. But i never mean any harm in the things ive ever said to anyone. Everything i said should be taken with a pinch of salt. I love and appreciate this band it's community more than i think i know.

Alter Bridge saved my life, thanks for reading. Onwards and upwards!

[Andy92]

I find myself listening to the same songs when I'm down (Stay, Shed My Skin, Someone Like You, etc). It really is amazing when you can find positive lyrics that really speak to you though, isn't it? I remember the first time I listened to Life Must Go On. I was in a bit of a down mood, and hearing those lyrics gave me quite a refreshing perspective on things.

I find it amazing how something like music is strong enough to bring people together of so many different cultures. Everyone has their own story. Thanks for letting us in on some of yours, Jim. Keep your head up dude.

[Jim]

Thanks man. Appreciate you understanding

[Macca]

Man, reading this is actually scarily similar to how my 2012 has been. I've also had easily the worst year of my life, a combination of breaking up with my girlfriend of 5 years at the end of last year and dealing with a really nasty Crohn's flare which I'd been struggling with since December 2010 and really took a turn for the worse after said breakup. I was off work for about 7 months from December through to July because of the Crohn's. Because of that for the first 7 months of the year I did pretty much nothing but sit around in my room all day every day, too ill to even really go out and socialise with friends, I spent New Year's Eve in bed alone this/last year after having been too ill to keep plans that I'd made with friends. I think I saw my friends about literally 3 times from December 2011 through to about May/June of this year. Couple that with the inevitable feelings of loneliness that arise from a breakup and it's been easily the loneliest year of my life.

The Crohn's symptoms seem to be under control now and I'm trying to find myself a full time job. I'm also trying to pick up the broken pieces of a social life that suffered dramatically this past year or so, but it's harder than it seems when drinking alcohol is something I'm really apprehensive to do, as it's obviously such a huge part of our socialising culture and people are so uninterested in doing anything where booze isn't involved. But yeah, finding a job and getting my social life back are my 2 main goals right now. I'm hoping that this time next year my life will be pretty different and I can just close this chapter of my life, but only time will tell.

So yeah, I guess what I'm saying in a long drawn out form, is I can relate to what you're going/went through, and am glad things are starting to look up for you.

[Josiah]

I'm really sorry I'm so hard on you all the time, Jim. I never knew you were going through anything like that. I was depressed for a long time. I fought off suicidal thoughts every day. Music got me through it more than anything. Alter Bridge, Rise Against, MF4, Shinedown, and yes, Green Day lyrics too. I had my heart absolutely shattered out of nowhere, my entire family acted like (and still act like) that hate me. For a while now I've felt like a stranger in my own home. And very few people that I consider friends accept me either.

"I love the way I feel today, but how I know the sun will fade. And darker days seem to be what will always live in me. But still I run."
Those lyrics stuck with me for a while. One of my favorite lines of all time.

"They say home is where the heart is, but what a shame. Cause everyone's heart doesn't beat the same. It's beating out of time." "You're not the Jesus of Suburbia, St. Jimmy is a figment of your father's rage and your mother's love" "what the hell is your name?"
I know a lot of you cant stand Green Day, but you have no idea how much these lyrics, and many others meant to me. I almost broke down crying the first time I heard them. And it still makes me emotional every single time.

"Somewhere between happy, and total fucking wreck. Feet sometimes on solid ground, sometimes on the edge. To spend your waking moments simply killing time is to give up on your hopes and dreams. Life for you has been less than kind, so take a number, stand in line. We've all been sorry, we've all been hurt. But how we survive is what makes us who we are."
My favorite rise against lyrics. Those also got me through a lot. Listened to that song over and over and over again.

"Worn heart, weak and tender. It's bruised and bleeds and you wanna surrender. But that's no excuse for you to go run away and hide. Damn this situation, get off your fucking ass if you wanna save it, or stay here and rot away if you dont want to survive."
Some of my favorite MF4 lyrics. Like all the other ones listen, listened to this song over and over.


Jim, I hope you know whatever I say to you that comes across as mean, I'm only joking. Love you man. I'm truly sorry for everything. Stay strong.

[Crumbso]

I don't really spread it around but in 2007 I went through a mental breakdown, as a result of attempting to look after my ex-girlfriend who was an obsessive compulsive hypochondriac. I went through a suicide attempt and was picked up by the police. Long story short I was put on medication it was a very long road to recovery and a stable mental state.

I feel for you Jim and all the others that have been through clinical depression and I won't fool you and say that you just get better and all it's effects are gone. However, I now live with my girlfriend of 4 years in our house, we both have good jobs and we're relatively happy (but poor! haha). I slide back into a depressed state every now and again but you just have to realise the difference between real appropriate emotional response and what depression can sometimes make you feel, like an extreme emotional reaction to a relatively small occurance. Once you can use reason to react appropriately, despite the emotions you are feeling, then life can seem so much better.

On the music front, I always found that 'Burn It Down' was a perfect description of depression. The uplifting nature of the song is just fantastic.

[zazthespaz]

[Jim]

Thankyou for sharing.

[Timotheus]

I wouldn't say that music saved my life (though it got me through some tough times) but it definitely changed my life.
I'm obsessed with music. The first thing I do when I wake up is turn on music and I fall asleep listening to it. When I'm studying I've got classical music on the background and I'm constantly creating my own music.
Music is one of the most powerful instruments on the earth. Like Andy said, it brings people together and it helps people back on their feet. The world would be a very bitter place without it.

I hope you all will be fine by the way

[AB23]

On the music front, I always found that 'Burn It Down' was a perfect description of depression. The uplifting nature of the song is just fantastic.

such a good song. a lot of people dont get how much it symbolizes, and the fact that it speeds up as the song goes along before hitting that "whatever takes us away, will be the same to drive us on" is so meaningful.

then the awesome, uplifting solo at the end is almost as if its saying " ive beaten all of my troubles and come out on top." and myles screams that note at the end of the solo as if hes ecstatic that his addictions/other problems have been triumphed. maybe i look too into it, but i guess a song can mean anything you want it to mean to you, and thats what i get out of it.

[agny]

I'm glad some things are taking an upward turn in your life. As someone who's been down in that dark valley and has to be careful not to hit bottom again, one thing I've learned is to watch for exhaustion. When my reserves are gone, everything in life gets more difficult, and I get very frustrated and snappy with people, just before the downward spiral starts. You have a LOT on your plate, both good and challenging, so be careful with yourself. Sometimes those dark waves come out of nowhere too, which is even more frustrating.

Music definitely helps. There is some music I like because it makes me feel not alone at the bottom, some because it helps pull me up. I listened to a lot of Alice in Chains and Nirvana in my worst depression but I can't listen to them much now. I don't feel quite that way anymore, and given how music is lodged in our emotional memories, it can start to pull me back to that unhappy period. Soundgarden's Fell on Black Days and The Day I Tried to Live are my life's soundtrack then and now. They're both dark but with a very slight bit of hope.

I found Alter Bridge at a much needed time when I was trying to make some major changes in my life - backing off from helping a mentally ill relative whose problems were drowning me, needing to make some risky changes at work, needing to shake myself out of a rut where I had lost big parts of myself, and was very isolated. I wish I'd found them a little sooner. I love the sound of their music but the lyrics resonated with me immediately. I'm the same age group as the band and maybe that makes me relate especially well to some of Myles' lyrics. It also inspires me how his career is taking off, not to feel like it's too late to get my life together. I often listen to songs like Brand New Start just to get my head in the right place each morning.

[agny]

@Crumbso I'm very glad you're still with us.

[Rosenblaetter]

I'm not a fan of sharing such things in public but sometimes one should do it. So here we go:

I've been through some rough times few years ago.
Spent almost three years taking care of my Grandparents - it was a rich catalogue of misfortunes: Grandfather's light mental aberrations and amblyopia, Grandma's amputations, heart attacks, strokes.
I studied daily (writing papers for my M.A.) but also worked from 4pm-1am. In the meantime I changed diapers, bandages, injected insuline etc. - a huge blow in the head for somebody who was young, had no clue about hardship and was always taken care of. I'm not writing this to tell you how cool I was to endure all this but to give you a picture: while my friends were LIVING, I suddenly had to deal with things which are sometimes too much for two adults. I couldn't escape because I would hate myself for leaving my family in need. I couldn't stay because it was killing me. Helpless - no way out. Yeah, such thing does exist.

The worst thing about such situation is, that 99% people cannot understand what you are going through even if you talk with them daily about it. My friends were supportive but most of them lost patience after a year or so - I was too tired to deal with them and when I wasn't tired- I didn't want to. I did not want to see there was a normal life out there, a student life where you decide about your own time. I didn't want to get those glimpses of regular life simply because it hurt too much to come back to the insanity area.

I began to hate my Grandparents for destroying my life, for manipulating me. Ended up hating myself - they were after all my family and I loved them.
Then it was over. And that was when I began to feel worse and got completely lost - I should have been happy and relieved but instead I was lost and not interested in anything. I didn't sleep.
When I stopped listening to music I was terrified. I didn't recognize myself anymore.
My parents sort of ignored that problem - I finally asked them if I should hurt myself so that they would take this seriously. It worked.

I was diagnosed with some early stages of depression and I managed to get out of it in 4 months.
But I think it's enough for me to understand. I think that if you haven't been to that place, you don't really get it - nothing wrong with that, it's just how it is.
When people tell you 'it's gonna be fine' you ask yourself what 'fine' is (because the concept of 'fine' is sort of unreal).

I was very lucky to have two things coming my way in that dark period to help me get out of it - then I added music. Alter Bridge was on speakers every day.

I always get a bit sad when I hear people say 'Life Must Go On' is a corny ballad. To me it's one of the most honest songs I've ever heard.
I always thought that the teenager cliche "this song inspired me" / "those lyrics are about me" does not concern me. Obviously I was wrong.

'It feels like the end - just pay no mind at all' line is HUGE. It gives perspective, brushes aside the drama, steals away its importance, makes it small.

This year is not exactly a good year for me but oh, well.
We have our misfortunes...

[Micky]

Jim,

I know we dont know each other and I'm new here, and that chances are you probably are not a fan of mine...but you know what, that's alright.

Reading what you wrote, brought tears to my eyes. I'm only 19, and I've been through some similar things. Alter Bridge and yes even Creed really got me through some tough times. Along with the band Cold.

When I was 7, I had a little sister born with a serious heart defect, and when she was 5, they told my mom she might not make it. She needed to have immediate heart surgery and then, the day before the surgery, my father got laid off from work. Needless to say, it was terrifying. So what did I do? I popped in One Day Remains. Honestly, songs like Shed My Skin and One Day Remains, really helped me. Both songs I suppose kind of made me realize that I can't just sit back and watch this happen, I need to be as supportive as I can...

My sister made it through the surgery, thank god. And my dad found a job within 6 months. We're still paying off some bills from when he was out of work, but we did it.

A few years later, a dear friend of mine lost his sister in a car accident. It shook me up to see my friend so hurt. He was my brother. I used to exchange Christmas presents with his family, etc. So it really hit me hard, if that makes sense. Tragedy would soon strike again, as a mere 3 weeks later, my friend Jason, commited suicide. That one hit me the hardest...Jason was a good guy. He had a rough time in school though, and I guess just couldn't take it anymore. I was dating a girl Melissa at the time, and I was so distrought over the recent events, that I didn't talk to anyone for a couple days...and she broke up with me over it..for being upset over my close friend's sisters death, and a death of a close friend..bitch.

I listened to Blackbird almost everyday for a while after Jason's passing. It makes me thinkn of him every single time I hear it, and I truly hope that he's never going to be broken again.

I soon after became diagnosed with depression. I was suicidal and on the watch list at school. I drank a lot, which may seem cliche' but its true...I drank heavily in high school, and have only recently slowed down. Drugs were a big issue for me too. But, I got rid of them after a year or two.

The following September, a friend of mine, John, was hit by a car. He died a mere two blocks away from my house. It rattled me up a little bit, but I knew he was someplace better.

When Full Circle came out, I was immedietly drawn to the song "On My Sleeve". As I was trying to sober up, I listened to that song all the time. It made me realize that I needed to change, and that my mistakes are causing nothing but problems in my life. So I kept fighting.

Then around the time AB III came out, my sister went through a nasty divorce and seemed to distance herself from me. My older sister was one of the few people that knew about all the bullshit in my life and always tried to help me, and the fact that I couldn't be there for her tore me apart.

Life Must Go On really struck a chord with me, and so did Wonderful Life. Since I was suicidal, it made me think of everything I'd want to say to my loved ones before I was gone. So that song told me, "hey, listen there's people that love you and want you to live a great life". Life Must Go On, however, broke my heart. It made me honest to got wake up and say "what the fuck am I doing? I can get through this." and Surely, here I am, almost 3 years later kicking ass.

Things have been an uphill battle, but it's one I intend on winning. I hope this story doesn't bore you and that you don't think I'm a nutjob or anything. I appreciate all of you who take the time out of your day to read this.

Music can do wonderful things can't it?

[GazEd]

Jim, holy fuck, I know you really did not struggle through writing this piece as I can sence it, it just came out naturally, and I thank you so very much for sharing it. I am only 3 years older than you, but, you know, I really do know how you feel. I am on a bit of a downside at this very moment with some symptoms shared with a list of yours. I have been through severe times, disappointments, depression and etc, and every time the only line pretty much helped me. Even a chorus.

We all fall sometimes you’re not the first
But I know it hurts
Yeah I know it hurts
In the end you’ll find what you deserve
Still I know it hurts
Yeah I know it hurts

You know, everything passes and everything ends. We are simply blessed to have Myles writing lyrics like that for us all. If only he knew what his lines did to us, he would simply fall into tears for a couple of weeks non stop I think

Thanks again for sharing your amazing story. I really realy wish you never fall back into it again. Try not stop trusting people. There is always a couple of those beings that will always be by your side.

I know that.

[GazEd]

Try not stop trusting?

What the fuck was I thinking.

But yanno what I mean.

[BennyWhatever]

Hugs for you, man. Thanks for opening up to us - that's a really big step. Depression can strike anyone.

Have you ever heard of Allie Brosh? She's the author of the very, VERY popular "Hyperbole and a Half" blog (http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/). She's the one that created the picture of the girl in pink going "Clean ALL THE THINGS!" She's a very successful, cheery, happy person that expresses herself through her writing. Her last blog was September of last year. People started wondering what happened to her! She had mentioned that she was writing a book, so the speculation was that she was hard at work on it. However, time went on, and no one heard anything from her.
She came to reddit a few months ago, and confessed that for the last year, she's been suffering from severe depression (http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comme ... ith_allie/).

I guess what I'm trying to say is, you're not alone. Depression can strike with anyone, given the right situations, including some of the best people you may know. Kudos to you for your improvements! You've always been a great role model in this little community of ours. I've read that it's always good to have support groups, so count us in as one of them.

[agny]

I LOVE Hyperbole and a Half. Her cartoon description of depression is one of the best I've seen - if I ever encounter someone who doesn't get it I'm sending that to them. Her cleaning, internet distraction, and dog stories crack me up too.

[abw1987]

Wow, so many touching stories in here.

I can't claim to relate to what any of you have gone through. I've been very lucky in that I never struggled with depression. I never really experienced a particular hardship or death of someone close. I've never been overly emotional, and even when something bad happens to me, I'm not particularly affected by it from a mental health perspective.

Sure, I had my teenaged mood swings, and songs like Creed's "Inside Us All" helped get me through when I felt like a social misfit. But 99% of the time I'm listening to the melody and instrumental work. Frankly, I hardly ever pay attention to the lyrics, unless they just sound cool, like the chorus of "Burn It Down".

Point is, since I never had experiences like yours, I am always blown away whenever I read stories like this. The fact that Alter Bridge got you through a tough time, sometimes even preventing you from attempting to take your own life, astounds me.

Thanks everyone for sharing. I wish you all the best, and I'm glad to hear that it seems everyone is on an upswing.

[anguyen92]

I accidentally found this thread, read it, and now bumping it to tell my stories.

Well, I don't think my story is going to be as powerful as you guys' great stories but here's mine anyway.

In 2007, probably the worst thing that happened to me at that point was that I failed Sophomore English and that the person I loved very dearly, but never told her, hated me. I was under a lot of loneliness and depression at that time and I'll say that I brought it to myself for the most parts. Yet, I wanted pull myself together piece by piece and a good core of that was listening to the Blackbird album (mainly Rise Today, Before Tomorrow Comes, Brand New Start, Watch Over You, and Blackbird). Its just so amazing how much power that a band could give you with these connecting songs. Things felt a lot better at the end of high school where everything was going well (school-wise and relationship-wise).

2011 was not really a banner year for me. 1st, I was failing my college courses, due to it being tough, wasn't motivated enough, etc. Then I tried my luck at online poker, did well then went broke, then I couldn't play it in the states no longer (it was actually for the best, but it was heartbreaking at the time). So once again, I fell under the depression I was on in 2007.

I ended up listening to AB III in its entirety for a while. A thing that helped me get a goal going was to follow the AB III concept of a man trying to find meaning in life after falling to rock-bottom and find a point of what song relates to me at that stage. I think for a long time I was between either Show me a Sign and Fallout. This post at this point may look selfish on my behalf, but I apologize for that and I just want to let this out.

Nowadays, I feel a lot better, in 2012. I've really expanded my hard rock tastes outside of WWE programming and been listening to the Sixx Sense station, amongst others, to find new songs/bands to listen to. I'm in community college taking accounting classes and feeling a lot better about myself. My status with my longtime female friend has been somewhat reestablish, but I feel like there's still a lot to talk about with each other to either get that status to grow to where it should be or just let it end at this point. Don't know, really.

So I guess in terms of where I am in the AB III concept now would be either Coeur D'Alene or Life Must Go On, hopefully get to the path to Words Darker Than Their Wings.

But yeah, music (mainly rock) has been a key part of helping me out in life and of course, Alter Bridge has always been a big part of that. Ty for reading at this point, you guys have been really helpful in your various posts in various threads.