"Downtown" - Taking Advice from Song Lyrics

*Day 4* I'm blogging everday till VidCon! What is VidCon? Check it out at www.VidCon2010.com

Early in 2008 I was in a severe depression. I had lost all of my friends, I was suffering a broken heart, and at the time, I didn't even blame anyone. I felt that I had knowingly put myself in a bad situation and that I deserved all of the bad things that were happening to me.

Only, I didn't want to be depressed. I didn't want to hurt as bad as I was hurting. I realized that the life I had been living was not the life I wanted for myself, and I didn't even want to spend the time being depressed that I had lost everything. I wanted to move on, but at first I didn't know how.

One day, while I was at work, the song "Downtown" by Petula Clark came on in the store. I remember listening to the song and just thinking,... "you know... maybe this song is right. Instead of sitting at home all alone and depressed, I should just go out and look at the pretty lights and let myself be distracted from all the things that are making me upset."

Around this same time I had just bought myself a semi-professional digital SLR camera. I bought the camera in hopes that if I gave myself a creative outlet that would also help me out of my depression. So one night, I took my camera and I headed out to downtown Las Vegas. While I was there, taking pictures of neon signs and random, interesting things, I saw several flyers for upcoming shows. I saw on one of the flyers the name of a local band whose music I had been listening to on MySpace for some time. I really liked them and I remembered how much fun I used to have going to shows when I was younger and in high school. So I decided to go to their show. I would be going to the shows alone, but I didn't care. I was desperate to do anything that would keep me from sitting at home and being depressed.

So, I started going to shows again, and taking my camera with me. After a while, I started seeing people at shows that I had known in high school and I started making new friends, mostly with people in the bands because they got used to seeing me at every show. This is how I met two of my closest friends, Bill and Ricky.

Today, I live a much healthier and happier life and most days I feel like I have more friends now than I can possibly count. I don't miss anything about the life I had before 2008. I am glad that I was able to get out of my house and meet new people who became good friends and helped me to overcome my depression. I am also thankful and excited that I live a life now where I am constanly meeting new people and making new friends. (So excited for VidCon!) It sometimes makes me laugh to remember that my motivation to get out of the house and go hang out "downtown" came from a song. Thank you, Petula Clark, your lyrics led me to find a better life.

I kept mentioning that I had my camera with me, because I wanted to share with you some of the photos I took when I hung out "downtown":







When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go - downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know - downtown
Just listen to the music of the traffic in the city
Linger on the sidewalk where the neon signs are pretty
How can you lose?

The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown, things'll be great when you're
Downtown - no finer place, for sure
Downtown - everything's waiting for you









Don't hang around and let your problems surround you
There are movie shows - downtown
Maybe you know some little places to go to
Where they never close - downtown
Just listen to the rhythm of a gentle bossa nova
You'll be dancing with him too before the night is over
Happy again

The lights are much brighter there
You can forget all your troubles, forget all your cares
So go downtown, where all the lights are bright
Downtown - waiting for you tonight
Downtown - you're gonna be all right now






And you may find somebody kind to help and understand you
Someone who is just like you and needs a gentle hand to
Guide them along

So maybe I'll see you there
We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares
So go downtown, things'll be great when you're
Downtown - don't wait a minute for
Downtown - everything's waiting for you







Sorry, the pictures make this blog so long. I just really wanted to share them with you. Anyway, I'll say goodbye now, 'till tomorrow. :-)