One More Light

I shined my light and listened to OML and many other songs. TBH, I didn’t feel like singing along. Just wanted to hear him sing. Didn’t really feel like looking at too many pictures, but I looked at some.

I saw some of the things the groups did, though. Some people drew picture artwork. Some made whole songs. One was called “Chester Doesn’t Die” or something like that. Most put up pictures, watched old LP/DBS/GD and whatnot. Then there were more extreme gestures such as tattoos, hair bleaching, and so on.

A lot of folks were/are trauma survivors, some w/related depression also. So they feel a certain amount of gratitude for the way the songs and his voice helped. Some feel bad because they could not return the help to him, too. I feel the same sometimes.

They need to know that they aren’t responsible, no matter which narrative is true. If someone doesn’t understand how much they are loved and wanted here, there’s nothing anyone can do to convince them. Likewise, no one could have done anything about an industry related issue. Either thing would have been out of our/their hands.

That said, there’s nothing wrong with choosing to move on with him (in spirit) rather than without him at all.

You see, it wasn’t just the lyrics or the music. It was his voice, his emotion, and his expressions as someone who had been through some sh!t and had still managed to hold on to compassion and kindness. And so hearing another voice just doesn’t work, because by “voice,” we mean all of him.

Grey Daze pulled it off because we can still hear him, kind of like in spirit. It’s like he is still “with” the group in a way, even though they have another lead.

Anyway, these fans are down for the duration. It has been eight years, and they are not stopping the annual activities, lol. I’m down, too.