I will confess I am only mildly obsessed with the sweet sound of Hugh Jackman and his iconic band of  “Misfits”. and that the lines

I am not a stranger to the dark
“Hide away,” they say
“‘Cause we don’t want your broken parts”
I’ve learned to be ashamed of all my scars
“Run away,” they say
“No one’ll love you as you are”

The Greatest Showman – This is Me

get me every damn time …

I will confess that there is no way people on the original soundtrack – or the remastered one can be that incredibly talented… but I’ve also been caught watching golden buzzer moments from America’s Got Talent, where twelve-year-olds have more talent in one finger than I do in my whole damn body. 

That being said…

Few moments in history hold us to the same effect that music does – for example, I remember listening to Jay-Sean’s “Down” on the bus home from school in seventh grade more than I remember listening to my parents speak at the dinner table. I remember the car I was in and who I was with the first time I heard “Call Me Maybe”, and to this day Paramore’s “Still Into You” and Clean Bandit, “Rather Be” are still the tracks I think of when pulling into the drive of my families cabin – because despite the fact that I have heard millions of songs on the ride up there  since before I was born – those are the songs I remember being able to drive on my own to.

Music no matter how popular in the moment, no matter how fleeting – certain music has the power to bring us back to the exact moment where that one song meant the most to us. 

While my middle school slow dance song will forever be Chris Brown’s “With You”, because I may not have gotten the guy but… great song.

While my junior year of high school would not be complete without “Come and Get It” by Selena Gomez or Taylor Swift”s Red album at cross country practice – and I wouldn’t have survived Dealware’s flattest course without Fighter by Ryan Tedder – I know that my life and those of so many have added the songs from “The Greatest Showman” to their own personal soundtrack

all the shine of a thousand spotlights; all the stars we steal from the night sky will never be enough – will never be enough.

– Never Enough, The Greatest Showman

Few stories have the power to sweep us away – we read books, bad news, good news and watch movies to chase these feelings but for most of us and no pun intended it is “never enough.” and to that I applaud you. I applaud you for not settling – for being brave enough to chase dreams like kids chase ice cream trucks. 

I dare you to be great, to make your show great, and to know what matters both now and forever – because it may never be enough. But with you at the Helm, as the Captain of your ship – I can say for a fact that this life, your life, is your Greatest Show.