Maybe One Day He Will Know My Name

A lot of people look up to family or even some best friends to value. I value someone who does not even know my name, and his name is Austin Robert Carlile. I have been through a lot of ups and downs in my life recently, often hitting rock bottom. One specific night after a heated argument with my parents, I remember feeling like I was not worth anything anymore. On top of the argument, my grand daddy had just passed away that morning. My best friend was on the phone with me to help me cope as much as she could and get through what I was going through. I told her how I was feeling and she told me to look up a band named Of Mice & Men. The first song I heard made the tears flow like a river down my cheeks. The song, named Second & Sebring was about Austin's mother passing away and how he hopes she is proud of who he has become. It reminded me of how my grand daddy had always told me to be who I am and to become who ever I want to become. Then I thought for a while. I realized that if he could make it through the death of his mother, under-go a heart surgery that could have killed him, and still make it to the man he is today, then I can survive, too.

After a few weeks of listening to this band and learning the deep and meaningful lyrics behind the songs, I wanted to hear more about Austin's experiences. When his mother died, he was only 17 years old and it was a really tough time for him to get through. Not long after, he was told he could not go on stage or record his new album because of his heart condition. He later got the heart surgery and as soon as they cleared him, he went into the studio and began recording. Although, the one story that impacts me the most was about a fan of his that died of cancer. In a tear-filled interview, he talks about her and how he wished he would have had the chance to meet her, and he began to cry. A couple weeks after she passed, he got a tattoo of her name on his knee to show his care and love for her. That made me realize that I do not want him to know my name by hearing about my death. I want him to know me by meeting me in person and hearing me thank him for being there for his fans after everything he has gone through in his life.

I value him for saving my life, even though he does no even know my first name.