downhere

Okay, so there is this really rad Christian (Canadian) rock band called Downhere...

Back where I lived in 2003 ... We had this big to-do in the park every spring ... And called it Rock in the Park for Jesus. Local bands and dance teams would come in, and then some lesser known national recording artist would close the show.... It was a lot of work to pull off, and a lot of fun.
So Downhere was our closing band. Their song Great Are You was getting lots of airplay on the local Christian Station - it was all good. I was part of the Hospitality Team - so my job was to help with their lunches (fruit salad and zucchini bread) and sort of make sure they had what they needed.... blah blah blah.

The week of Rock in the Park.... I came down with bell's palsey - short of the long of it - half my face was paralyzed. It was really painful and I couldn't move the muscles. Eventually most of the muscle control came back - over the course of like 4 months. As far as sicknesses go - once the steroids kicked in and the swelling went down - it wasn't that bad. My speech was a little slurred, my smile came off MUCH more like a smirk/grimace, and I had to use eyedrops at least once an hour b/c I couldn't blink my one eye. This lead people, (people I didn't know), in public, to talk to me like I was mentally handicapped... Except that I wasn't, so it frustrated me to no end.

So there I am, "helping" with the band at Rock in the Park. My friend Joel had asked me to help the Merch guy at his table to inventory things and pack up. Well, the Merch guy didn't know me or my situation and kept giving me these really short piles of shirts to count.... I assumed at the time it was b/c he didn't know if I was able to be real helpful.... A friend from church came over and was like, "Now baby, tell me what happened?" So I tell her the whole deal - "I woke up a few days ago and my face just didn't work.... It will, eventually... That's all." And I remember the merch guy being like - oh, man.

So then there was actually helping the band load stuff and pack up... and clear as yesterday... Jeremy - the drummer just talked to me like there wasn't anything wrong with my face. And I was SO impressed, and encouraged, and lifted up to FINALLY come across someone that would give me back my dignity. He didn't even ask about it... he just talked TO me.

I emailed to thank him - and he actually responded!! I signed up to be in the band's mailing list.... I went right out to get their second album... then I moved and discontinued the email account I had at my last job... eek!

BUT - last November I was in Atlanta for the National Youth Worker's Convention... and Downhere was playing on a side stage as a late night option.

Jeremy TOTALLY remembered me. And the other guys did too. Marc was like - We've met before haven't we? And I was like, umm, yeah, it was a while ago and I kinda looked different then. He prodded for more information - and said, "I don't remember that. But I remember meeting you." (TOTAL "My Big Fat Greek Wedding Moment.") I can't even begin to describe the joy of that simple pleasure.

Where is this all coming from? Downhere is playing in the Pittsburgh area soon... and I was on their website - which encourages you to check out the blogs of Jeremy and Glenn.... and let's just say I'm a sucker, so I did.

Jeremy's blog is titled Normal Rockstar... and I've gotta say that he is. I think that's what I love MOST about Downhere. They rock - and they rock hard - and yet they are still livin the average Joe lifestyle. Down to earth. Seeking God. Striving to be godly.

I can't wait to see them again!! Maybe I'll even get to take some zucchini bread? ha ha.

I am so random.