My 11:59 was the moment I found I was pregnant with my beautiful little boy. I felt like I was standing on the edge of the rest of my life, of everything I have ever dreamed of. The possibilities seemed endless, the world bigger. The realization that everything was going to change… It was truly incredible.
My 11:59 happened during the summer between senior year and college. I was with the most amazing girl in the world and whenever we were with each other, she was everything and the only thing that mattered. She is worth the long distance because I know we can still have that.
my 11:59 was that moment i let go everything. i let go of all the pressure coming down on me from my parents, from high school, from my “future.” it was the moment where i felt free from everything going on in my life and the depression left me. it was the moment where i felt like i actually had control of my life.
I was actually looking around for a forum post on this issue, but stumbled across your site on Google!! I’m actually quite interested so will keep an eye out for updates
I’m going to cheat a little here, because I think I’ve had at least two 11:59 moments. My first happened during winter 2008. I recently got back together with my now ex boyfriend, and we had resisted any PDA all night (minus hugs, I love hugs ), and we were just sitting on a nearby picnic table at a park, just casually talking and trying to stay warm. Not even realizing it until it happened, he kissed me. All of a sudden, I felt warm inside, like as if it sparked a blazing fire that warmed my whole body up in the 40+ degree weather, my mind playing a slide show of the moments with each other I cherished over the 7 months we had dated. It felt longer than that one minute it happened, but it lifted me away from everything and the world around me, and it was just him and I; in “love.” Then again, I’m only in high school .
My second 11:59 moment was the first time I had my whole life just flashback in front of me, like a movie at a fast forwarding speed, as I just watched, zooming in on those few mistakes I wish I had never made. It was at that moment, where I just let it go, cutting it out of the film and just forgetting what had brought me down so much my sophomore year. I was able to convince myself that I could do better, not fall into that same situation again… watch over my friends and prevent them from following in the same footsteps. It was in that moment, that I promised myself to watch over my friends (my family), and always try to be there for them; listen to their rants, be nearby when he breaks up with her for moral support, bring happiness even when deep down I’m not feeling so great, but most of all, prove to them that I love them. More than anything.
My 11:59, the moment I live for? thats easy. The inspiring moment when I am listening to music and painting, those moments when I am so caught up in that I forget to eat or even who is sitting next to me. The moments that let me soak up the marrow of life and all of the moments that we take for granted. The limbo that I fall into whenever I am drawing or painting is my 11:59.
My 11:59 happened during the summer between senior year and college. I was with the most amazing girl in the world and whenever we were with each other, she was everything and the only thing that mattered. She is worth the long distance because I know we can still have that.
my 11:59 was that moment i let go everything. i let go of all the pressure coming down on me from my parents, from high school, from my “future.” it was the moment where i felt free from everything going on in my life and the depression left me. it was the moment where i felt like i actually had control of my life.
My 11:59 is the 5 minutes before the lights go down at a live concert and the band walks on stage. I have all this nervous energy in me, and the minute the lights go down and the crowd goes nuts – the nervousness is gone and its nothing but pure adrenaline. It doesn’t matter who the band is – there are some who’s music has touched me more than others. Live music is my 11:59 – it touches my soul like nothing else.
My original 11:59 came on July 23, 2002 when I received a phone call that my friend had been killed in a car accident. She had called the night before and I didn’t call her back – I was busy…I struggle with wanting to be perfect and getting everything done. 11:59 is making time for what is important to me. It is answering that call whenever it may be,to let whoever is on the other end know that I am there in good times and in bad. Life is difficult to say the least, but we should all make an effort to have an endless amount of moments that we can call our 11:59. “Once in a while you can get shown the light, In the strangest of places, If you look at it right.”
I just had my 11:59. I said goodbye to every bad thing and negative memory, every back-stabbing “friend”, every lie, every insult, every suicide attempt, and every regurgitated meal. I am starting over right now and I am going to beat this. I am God’s creature, and I have been enlightened.
My 11:59 is when my students “get it”, I mean really “get it”. I teach a group of kids that are way lower than their peers. Everyday they work so hard to keep up. When the light bulb truly goes off and they have that look, it’s my 11:59 every time! This is when I am reassured of what I am doing.
My 11:59 is when I realize that I know where I’m going, in terms of my career and future family life. Its when I kiss Jon and everything just melts away.
I thought my 11:59 was when I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 22. I thought I finally understood all there was to lose.
I thought my 11:59 was when my 16 month old son was run over by a car and i really understood all there was to lose.
My real 11:59 comes every morning, when my son comes down the stairs smiling and shouts, “Hey, Dad is awake”!
Ten years ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I was devastated, terrified, angry – why was this happening to me? I was 19 – in my freshman year of college – this was supposed to be the time of my life.
I went through chemo, radiation, I lost my hair, I looked awful. Most of my friends ditched me – except for the ones that mattered. I went in remission. After 4 years they declared me cancer free. I was relieved to have it finished, and behind me, but still couldn’t correlate why this had happened to me.
Then a good friend of mine told me her neice had been diagnosed with hodgkin’s disease, the same cancer I had – she wanted me to talk to her about my experience and ease her fears. I agreed – why not, right?
The moment I sat down at the café, this kid looking at me with fear in her eyes – something clicked. I realised I had been given this disease to grow as a person, and fight it, and beat it, so that I could help others that were going through the same thing.
I started a local support group for teenagers with cancer, and every meeting, I know this is why I was put here. To share my life, and my heart with these kids – to take myself out of my comfort zone, allow myself to feel, and love, and live. That is my 11:59.
“Breathe, just breathe, take the world off your shoulders, and put it on me…” this song is my life, every day. Ryan – thank you for being such an inspiration to me.
My 11:59 is when I’m inspired. When I realize who and what mean the most to me. When I open my eyes and see that although I am a small part of the big picture, I can make a difference.
My 11:59 will be the moment I finally get the confidence and take the leap to pursue what I love, which is music.
The dream is to be recognized. Not famous, just recognized.
My 11:59 was the day I got recognized for my music videos for the first time. I have been making them since I was 13 and am now in college working towards being a director for my own TV show. It was then that I realized this is what I was born to do. I realized there is no greater escape or joy for me than creating something. Something powerful that people can relate and escape to. TV and music were the 2 things I always found solace in when things were not good in my life and I realized there are other people out there that need to escape and many turn to television shows. I want to be that person. that person that helps you escape from a world that is not always right. Music and TV have shaped my life in ways I could never have imagined. My 11:59 showed me what I was capable of and to never ever doubt myself because you never know what is on the other side. That is my 11:59
My 11:59 is every moment that I choose love over my job’s outdated ideas of what is right and wrong. It’s every time I feel that passion for someone they won’t allow me to speak to, the thrill of doing it anyway because my heart says it’s never wrong.
My 11:59 came the day my husband died. It was only then I realized that we can’t take one second of life for granted. It’s been a struggle to find myself these past three years – but each and every day I grow stronger – and I know exactly who I am now.
My 11:59 continues as I learn to break out of my self imposed hermit hood – as I escape the dark moods of grief – and rediscover life.
My 11:59 is now … in this moment … and in every moment that follows. Because life is precious and I refuse to waste just even one more second.
My 11:59 is easy. It is whenever I am rocking one of my granddaughters to sleep. Makes me realize what unconditional love really is and How much I want the world to be better for her. You will never know how much your parents love you until you hold your own child in your arms.
My 11:59 is when i decided to step out of comfort zone to start everything that i love from a scratch. I know that change is going to be like a suicide but I decided to do that because I would never forgive myself if I didn’t. So, wish me luck for that.
And Btw Ryan, I discovered through David Cook and now I am a fan of both of you as people and musicians.
My 11:59 is when I talked a girl out of committing suicide, when I helped a married couple stay together AND fix their problems, when I realized my lifes goal is to help people…that’s my 11:59.
My 11:59 is any moment where I make a connection with someone. Whether it be my best friend, my brother, a stranger on the street. Any sort of moment that reminds me that everyone is dealing with the same sort of day to day life drama, that in that moment…doesn’t really matter. Because in that moment, nothing else matters or exists, there is no end game, there is so hidden meanings. Its just you and another person trying to make sense of all the insanity that goes on.
My 11:59 is the moment where I finally have the courage to let go of everything that has been hurting me and holding me back; To jump from my comfort zone that really isn’t comfortable at all. 11:59 is the moment where I’m free falling, but the important part is that I’m free.
My 11:59 is that moment when we realize we are all connected..through the air we breathe and the ground we walk on..and we learn to respect and care for our fellow human beings as if they are our brother or sister…
Well I’m about to graduate college. It was the last wish from a couple of my closest loved ones I’ve lost. Huge accomplishment. Probably the biggest I’ll ever face off. That’s my 11:59
My 11:59 was deciding that I wanted to do something for me and not care what people thought. I decided to go to a concert in NC with Ryan Star and David Cook alone. My friends thought it was crazy and they are not fans of rock music. In the past I have let what people thought sway me from doing things that I enjoy because others didn’t want to do them with me. I had a great time at that concert and met interesting people. An 11:59 moment is that moment that you give yourself permission to step out of your comfort zone and be open to new experiences.
Years ago while in Italy I accidentally skied into Switzerland. When I got back to the top
of the mtn I found myself on top on the Alps looking around at the world before me all alone. But what came over me was an amazing calm and sense of peace. I just felt like something clicked right there, at that moment. I believe in some way that’s why I quit my job, moved away from where I was born and raised, drove across the country to live in Tahoe so I could snowboard as much as possible and maybe get that feeling of peace, calm, and centeredness again. It happens sometimes.
It took a bunch of years but eventually I had to make that jump. My 11:59 came when I decided to do it and then came to a head when I walked in and quit my job. No going back then.
I took a huge pay cut, moved to a tough new place in some ways away from all my friends and family and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done and the scariest. Doesn’t any of this make sense?
My 11:59 is when I’m affected. When something affects me in a raw and intense way. I live for these moments because they allow me to turn it into a creative explosion. It’s a beautiful process.
my 11:59 is right.now. Within a month’s time my job has suspended me for 3 days, reduced my pay, and suspended me w/out pay until further notice (just finished week two, now…) all due to multiple discrimination and harassment. I go to work to work, and maybe that’s my problem too? Maybe I notice too much. I’m scared, because I want out. Out of my parents house, out in the world living independently, out living my life my way. I’ve been trying to become financially independent for years and w/ this job I’ve been able to pay for ALL of my bills…just not rent. I can’t afford it all by myself. But really, this job was not to be my career. I graduated from SCAD with a degree in Comics and THATS what I want to do w/ the rest of my life.
So I consider this to be my wake up call. Everyday while I’m still clinging onto my clearance I’m applying for new jobs that’ll pay the bills (and hopefully have enough left to move out/stabilize my Savings…?) and work on my drawing/stories. I’m living everyday as optimistically as I can and I’m attaching myself to the hips of all that are willing to help support me through this hard time. It’s all I got right now. I think this moment is the most emotional draining time I’ve ever had in my life, but I’m strong willed and I’m going to prove to those racist/sexist/etc arses that they can’t drag me down! >D! HA! lol
P.S. (on a side note, Ryan, two days after I was escorted off the premises of my job I saw you live in concert for the first time. Your words to you EP are my backbone right now. I have always lived by “never giving up” and “never letting people get you down”/etc. Your EP is and has been in my car since that day and it help reassures me that it’ll be okay. So, dude, seriously, thank you. ! See you in two days for part deux! XD!)
To put it simply, music is my 11:59. Music that defines a moment, defines a life. It’s being a part of something amazing, and knowing that you’re not alone.
My 11:59 was the day that I learned that things in my life are going to happen. Things that are beyond my control, and that I can’t stop some things no matter what. I learned to just live my life with no worries and no regrets, and especially no hate.
There are lots of 11:59s for me. I try to be aware of them as often as possible. The most recent one I had was at the end of this incredible experience I had doing the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk in San Francisco. 60 miles over the course of three days to raise money for a cure. At the closing ceremony, as the sun was going down, everyone bent and removed a shoe from their aching, tired feet and held them aloft. It’s a tribute to the survivors, to show them we walked for them, and for the future. That moment was so full of power and love it was indescribable. I felt so lucky to be part of it. This is what it looked like: http://twitpic.com/kdtic.
my 11:59 was totally unexpected. After 9/11 I moved from Washington, D.C. to Tulsa, just cause I was just too close to all of it. And I didn’t really make a conscious decision of why, I just did. I knew I wanted to be closer to my family, but I wasn’t sure that was it really, cause whenever I wanted to see them, I got on a plane and went and saw them. So I never could really articulate why I moved to Tulsa Oklahoma further from Washington, D.C. in more than just miles.
But 11:59 came when we were celebrating my older brothers birthday 3 years ago February and my sister law fell to the floor with a brain anuerysm. I knew right then and the subsequent weeks while she was in the hospital that the reason I came to Tulsa was just for that reason. There were too many things that night and the months ahead that told me the reason I came back to Tulsa and it was to be there that night that she collapse, to be there every day in the hospital with my brother and then to be there again the weeks my sister in law had to be at home alone when my brother went back to work.
And you know what, most people would have thought it was a burden or something, but I just saw it as that 11:59 that I was just supposed to be right there.
Wow,well… I think my 11:59 started last year. It was a very hard year,for me and for my family. First the lost of my granpa, then my uncle suffered a huge accident but at the end God made a miracle and now he’s better than before the accident in every single way. That fact affected me a lot. First, I didn’t know what will happen with him..it was one of those moments when all you can think is that it was the end of his life, when hope is there but you can’t find it, when tears come to you even if you resist to cry, when family meetings were in the hospital and the silence reigned at nights. I was in my last year at school in the last days of classes..everyday that I went there I was waiting for the message that will tell me that it’s over. But it wasn’t over. God wanted something else from him and from us. Since the moment when doctors said that he will make it, there were only happy tears. Our family changed. Today we still fighting but I realized that despite I didn’t see it, the hope was there all the time… it was little,yes..but it was there with me.
So, since then I can say that you really don’t know what will happen tomorrow..but you have to make plans , because you live and if you don’t make them you won’t know where to go. But also those plans have to include your dreams, if you don’t try to reach them you’ll regret it when that day comes to you. I think it’s a matter of enjoy each day, maybe it’s a normal day..but you have to enjoy it too and at the same time keep trying not to lose the hope that will give you the strength to go on in difficult times. Appreciate the little things, enjoy every experience. For me what keeps me happy in a normal day is music..I can’t live without it, and Ryan is a part of that. Thanks!
PS: Sorry for my not so perfect english, I’m trying to make it better.
My 11:59 is RIGHT NOW, this precise moment in my life. My whole life I thought I knew who I was and where I wanted to be headed. I thought I had a plan, a career, a future, and that everything will work out fine. But can you really plan it all out? The things that I have accomplished, do they really juice me? I realized that I’ve never REALLY taken control of the wheel. I just played out a role, as a daughter, as a student, as a girlfriend, as a professional. Was it really my decision? Am I enjoying myself in the process? I found myself really unhappy with decisions that I made both professionally and personally. Who am I? I’m still figuring that out. It’s o.k. to admit that. Where I want to be? I still have no idea. All I know is that I want to be HAPPY. I am trying to reinvent myself, trying to live, to learn, to laugh, to cry, to forgive, to love, and to TRUST myself again. I don’t know anything but I know this: I have to make the most of it and it starts RIGHT NOW.
I look at life like a natural hole in a rock… the kinds you see at the ocean or on an Irish countryside. Viewed from the road, at a distance, it is a rock with a hole… beautiful but distant, indistinct and impenetrable. But up close, it is a doorway into another world. Reach one hand in… and it is as if some unseen plane is within reach. When my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer a year ago, I felt as if the next year was spent looking at that rock from a distance, refusing to see the infinite and instead seeing only the blank hole. After sitting in the hospital room for hours waiting for the surgeon to emerge and give me the “news”, I realized I was finally ready to walk up and touch the rock, to feel for myself if the world as I knew it was ending or beginning afresh. Now, four months later with the news that the cancer is gone and our life together being redefined, I feel myself reaching into that unknown gap- on the door between the real and the possible, the mortal and the infinite… and I can almost perceive the fingers on the other side. That is my 11:59.
It’s when I am driving in the morning and I see all the other cars with personalized license plates and bumper stickers. Effects that are communicating ideas that I find too be simple, too ignorant of the complexities of this world we live in. Then realizing the beauty of the communication, the liberation it holds for the owner of the vehicle and feeling happy for them.
My 11:59 is the moment that I let go of all the bull shit in my life and realize there is a greater picture out there. I learned that if you try to hold everything in the weight of everything will eventually drive you 6 feet under.
11:59 isn’t just something that happens in the past..there are millions of 11:59′s waiting for me in life. I guess you could say that my 11:59 is expecting the unexpected and taking everything that comes my way for what it is…a lesson to be learned.
My first 11:59 came on the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, which happened, oh gosh, about 15 years ago. Since that day I try to live every day in such a way as to reflect His love, as much as I can.
My next 11:59 came the moment I realized that the man who would become my husband, WAS the man who would become my husband. It was this sharp moment of clarity in which I thought, “YES. I will spend the rest of my life with this man.” And I never looked back.
The next 11:59s came when each of my beautiful children were born – one on September 10, 2000, and the second on September 18, 2006. Those were the moments in which I realized my heart no longer resided in my own body, but in the bodies of the tiny girls who I now had complete responsibility for. It was terrifying and exhausting but, in a way, also freeing, because really, you cannot continue to be the same sort of selfish and me-first person you might have been once children become a part of your life. At least, I couldn’t!
I continue to have 11:59s every time I realize I have the chance to make a difference in someone’s life – every kind word, every unselfish gesture. I try to take every opportunity I can to make someone smile. I try to encourage beauty and love. I try to support people and causes I believe in.
My 11:59 happens every time I go out for a run. I hit the wall and want to give up, but then I realize what I’m running for, training for my goals. My short term goal is to run 10 KM race next year and long term is trek to Base Camp on Mt. Everest in 2013. It’s the moment I realize I need to stop being ‘So Ordinary’.
Thank you Ryan! Your song inspired me to set goals and climb mountains!
I actually have 2 11:59′s. One was Oct 24th, 1987 and the other was Dec 17th, 1990. On those days, I held in my arms the two most important people in the universe. My daughter who is my sunshine, and my son who is my stability. I never completely understood someone saying “I would die for them” until I held them. They are my reason for living and for dying. Every day was something new and different with them. My son is older and on his own, yet he is still there if I need him. My daughter, though she has a disability, looks at everyday as a gift. I have learned from her that you can’t look at life as having stumbling blocks to pull you down. You have to look at them as stepping stones to something better. I guess you could say my 11:59 is every second of everyday since I had them. “Blessings come in small packages, but they grow everyday.” Don’t waist time counting your blessings, just enjoy them while you have them.
It happens over and over again.
I’ve lived it two thousand times.
It’s always a Thin Place – an instant when Heaven and Earth come close to each other.
It’s the moment of birth.
A new mom and dad see their child for the first time, miraculously crossing the threshold into this life.
First breath, first cry….transition from the cord to the air.
And a young girl becomes a mom.
And a young man a dad.
A baby becomes part of this world.
Unbelievable and amazing – every.single.time.
It never gets old.
I always hold my breath for just a second in that moment.
I’m a guardian of the threshold into this new life.
It’s my 11:59 and I live it daily….just like you do with your music, Ryan.
9/12-14/08 – a weekend when anything was possible, people cared, and nothing could go wrong. All that mattered were the people I was with and the things I could do. Life was perfect for three days, even in the rain. Especially in the rain.
Every hug or listening ear when you need one. Every time the lights dim and that one song starts. Every ticket purchase. Every line. Every flight. Every road trip. Waking up every day. Every passport stamp. It’s nights I won’t always remember, shared with people I’ll never forget. Every holiday. Every birthday. Fireworks.
My 11:59 is every loss…live for those you’ve lost along the way. It’s meeting new people that can [and will] change your life. It’s every lyric I sing along to and every drum solo I play on the dash of my car. Every dollar earned. Every time I make someone else smile. Every tattoo. Every friendly toll booth worker. Every time my dog cuddles up in my lap. Every time I hit snooze. Every football game. It’s winning trivia. It’s playing Powerball. It’s every reunion. It’s the orange glow of South Florida every time I drive south and every drive through the Narnia door to the place I’ll always call home. It’s every good conversation.
My 11:59 is every time I get butterflies. It’s stage left. It’s home. It’s my family. It’s every friend along the way. It’s every moment that makes this thing we call life so. damn. good.
When the lights go down and the music starts and every single time, it feels like the first time.
Then that moment somewhere in the middle when you look at the faces around you and realize we’re all connected and nothing else matters.
And after it’s all over, understanding that the moment you experienced will never happen again.
It’s living to be back in that moment. It means taking risks and letting go. It means doing whatever it takes to find that moment you want to be in forever.
My favorite band in the entire world announced they were playing at a venue in walking distance of my college dorm in the middle of finals week on 4/29/08. Now you have to understand that bands rarely come to this town, much less twice a year(they had already been here in Jan.) Even though it was finals week and I had a final at 8am the next day, I decided that i just HAD to go.It ended up being one of the best nights of my life. I got to hear part of my favorite song of theirs(its an unreleased song that the lead singer hates so it NEVER gets played) and the band wished me luck on my final. The next day, I took that final on 4 hours sleep and aced it. That is my 11:59 moment
Where to start with my 11:59.The last year of my life has been pretty crazy. After my grandpa being told he had cancer, 3 months later being told he was cancer free, and then 3 months later being once again told the cancer was back. My grandpa lost his battle 3 months later. One of the comments he said was “I wish i would have done more.” At that point i decided i was going to stop playing it safe and take chances. My big 11:59 happened in April. I quit my job and moved to a new state. I pretty much started over. I didn’t know anyone. So Ordinary is the song that gave me the encouragement that i needed. Be strong and be brave and begin your story. 5 months later i can say it is the best thing i ever did!
11:59 is also music for me. Ryan’s music has taught me that there is so much more to music than words and a melody. Music is an emotion. Anytime i hear Ryan sing i can feel the emotion that he is feeling.
The other 11:59 moment i will share is part of Hiedi’s. I can’t wait to be apart of the Non-profit organization.
Music is believing. The more you close your eyes, the more you hear~~
My 11:59 moment relates to the theme of looking at what you Can do instead of what you can’t. Having a family member with disabilities has instilled in me patience, kindness, love, and a sense of self. It is hard hearing “No you can’t” when you know you can. Helping children realize their potential is why I became a Special Education teacher. Ryan’s music focuses on uplifting and inspirational lyrics and music. Yes he can!
My 11:59 is that breath of time that slips into an ordinary day and in a moment of clarity I realize how insanely fortunate I have become.
It’s easy to get weighed down with the act of living day to day, with work, responsibilites, and the mundane details that keep your life moving forward. But in that moment of clarity I remember to be thankful for the wonderful life I’ve created with an amazing man. We’re healthy, happy, and loved.
Ryan’s music is the soundtrack to my life and I spend every day enjoying his music and letting those little breaths of time remind me how far I’ve come.
The moment I realized I couldn’t marry the guy I was engaged to. It opened the door for the life I have now – one I wouldn’t trade for anything. True love. A place I can call “home” and actually feel like it is one. Happiness.
My 11:59, I think is just living my life to the fullest and not caring what other people think of me. I am 17, I should be just living life with no cares in the world, just being myself, a crazy kid. Finding my place in this big world. Finding out who I really am. I know that when I do find that out, I will embrace it with all that I can. That is my 11:59.
My 11:59? It’s that moment when both of my sons, ages 28 and 23, are having a lively discussion at the top of their lungs in the family room, the music is loud, their dad, my life partner for 31 glorious years, is sitting in his recliner with a huge grin on his face, rocking our granddaughter as she naps, the boys’ significant others are on the sidelines, chatting about babies and ‘the boys’…and I suddenly feel my heart open and spill out into my soul, into my very being…all the love, all the joy, all the blessings that God has bestowed. It’s that moment when I realize that I have no regrets in life, that this is EXACTLY where I am supposed to be, and that regardless of what the future brings, this moment, my 11:59, is where all the long, winding, difficult roads throughout my journey have led me. To this place, to this bliss.
Oprah calls it an AHA moment, I call it the day my life began. It was the day I finally realized that music isn’t just music. Music, is my 11:59.
My whole life I’ve loved music. I’m always listening to something. Songs for happy moods, songs for sad moods, you name it I’ve got a creatively titled playlist for it. I always knew music had healing powers, and when I was sad it would cheer me up. But in the past music cheered me up because it was an escape. The physical act of listening to it soothed me.
Well, my view on music all changed one night in the mist of an ugly, heavy, scary, and upsetting breaking down. As I sat in my car weeping “Breathe” came on. I listened to the words, truly listened, and heard the emotion in every word. Without even realizing it I felt better, I had stopped crying and a feeling of comfort permeated my body. I had my AHA moment. I realized that even if the lyrics to a song seem abstract and you think they dont apply to you, they do. Every song out there has a message, and it is through listening to these messages that we can begin to gain assuagement.
That night I learned a valuable lesson when life gets hard and you think you can’t go on, breathe, just breathe, because in the end that’s your only constant obligation in life, it’s all you need to get through the moment. And in the end, that’s all hard times are, just moments, that will pass.
So with my 11:59 I’m not afraid to let the clock strike 12 and a “brand new day” to begin, I might even create a playlist for it.
My 11:59 is knowing I’m OK with the choices I’ve made in life, even if others aren’t. I have great friends (and concert buddies!), own my home, love my job, have traveled throughout 4 continents…the list goes on. I probably would not make some of the same choices again, but I have no regrets. My experiences make me who I am. I may not be where I once thought I’d be, but I’m good with where I am!
11:59 for me would be the birth of my beautiful children whom I could not live without. That moment when you get to see your child for the first time. The moment I married my best friend. The moment I wasn’t afraid to speak in public and worry about what they would think of me…My life is filled with 11:59s and there will be many more to come. The moments that mean the most..meeting Ryan Star and being called “part of the family”~definately an 11:59 for me…You are an awesome person Ryan, and your music has affected me in ways you may never know. I Thank You for your beautiful music, your powerful voice, and for you just being the kind hearted soul that you are. Much love.
I believe that life is made up of several different 11:59 moments, as we move through different phases. These moments shape who we become, if we allow ourselves to be molded. With that in mind, a few come to mind for me, all leading up to the “big one”. I believe both LOSS and GAIN can be an impetus for change. Losing a dear friend suddenly in a motorcycle accident last year, and watching his wife and 5 young children carry on in his absence, has impacted me HUGELY. She has fought daily to make good use of the life they now have, for her and her children, with her faith never wavering…and that has inspired me to make the most of every day. Conversely, my children inspire me to be the best that I can be. There’s not much better than a tiny voice saying “Mommy, will you snuggle with me?” Snuggling in and feeling their warmth, their absolute trust. It reminds me to take a minute to enjoy what is happening around me. I want to show them that they CAN make a difference in life, not to be afraid of failing, and if they see a need…don’t wait for someone else to fill it! Which brings me to my current 11:59, though it’s a work in progress. Excuse me, because it’s about to get pretty cheesy in here. But this guy here, his music, has inspired me more than I can say. “Stop trying to be so ordinary.” “This could be the year, THIS could be the moment…” and “Music is believing, the more you close your eyes the more you hear.” This time next year…my 11:59 will be finally seeing my vision for a non-profit music foundation, with a specific purpose in mind, get it’s little feet on the ground. I’ve never been so excited, so absolutely terrified, and so completely without a doubt sure that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Thank you, Ryan Star.
my 11:59 is when my sister died when i was 4 that was when i realized that you could die at any time. Since then It’s been a hell of a ride but it’s only been 13 years so let’s see how this story ends eh?
There are many times that I feel alive…
When I create good art and find good art I feel alive.
When I listen to good music I feel alive.
When I have good conversations I feel alive.
When I’m around my friends and holding nothing back I feel alive.
When I go on my own little unplanned adventures I feel alive.
But I feel like there’s something bigger and better for me and it’s still on the way.
I can’t say that I have found my one, defining 11.59.
It’s out there still, but I can already feel it coming. Soon I’ll be staring my 11.59 straight in the face and I’ll know it when I get there.
But if I’m wrong and it doesn’t come soon, I will find it, I swear I’ll find it.
My 11.59 is whenever i feel alone. Usually when i travel and see an amazing sunset or scene and i have no one to share it with. Then i remember that i can be alone and see amazing sights,but things like my family, love and music are forever a piece of my very being. Ryan your music will always be a reminder of a baking hot july day on the staten island ferry looking at liberty and being thankful that i am alive. Thank you for being my reminder that life is a gift to be treasured
Wow… My mind has been tossing and turning since I was presented the idea of explaining what a 11:59 moment is to me.
11:59, one step from the abyss, or one step from heaven…
In the past two years, in three ocassions I lost everything. My home, my job, my money, everything but what matters. I got to keep those I love, and I go to keep hope. 11:59 was looking ahead, seeing the fall that awaited, and laughing because I felt like I had wings. I hoped, I fought, unafraid of 12:00.
Four months ago, I reached the peak of the mountain, the realization of many dreams, the best job I ever had, traveling to the US from Argentina, getting to meet face to face the best friends I ever had and actually doing those things I only imagined before.
Still, I keep living in 11:59, because the clock can move at any time. I plan on savouring every second and giving my all, so when midnight comes, I will let myself go with no regrets, knowing it was all worth it.
My 11:59 is when a concert is ready to start. When the lights go dim and the band or artist is ready to take the stage. And that anticipation gives me pure adrenaline. It takes me to another place and I know that I will be going to a happy place. I then become one with the music and all the other stuff goes away and I am in the moment. Live music has become the air that I breathe and I can’t live without it.
My 11:59 is 2009. This year I made a big spontaneous decision: to travel to America from the UK by myself to meet up with people who share the same passion as me, live music. It was a very random decision but the best I’ve ever made. I got to see the genuine kindness of strangers, a country I have been in love with all my life and see two amazing acts in Tennessee. I heard the song 11:59 performed live by Ryan Star there and the lyrics ‘this could the best night of my life tonight’ and it was. Since coming back I have pushed for what I want, make career decisions that will effect my whole life and done several events for charity. At work when I see the clock turn to 11:59 I remember my trip, the happiness and the excitement of hopefully doing it again next year. I also got to meet my idol
Flashcards. Flashcards make the world go round. And I bet the time that flashcards are at the most use is 11:59. They helped me get through nursing school and I bet they helped your doctor get through Medical school. My sister knows that Juneau is the Alaska state capital and not Anchorage because of flashcards. My kids know math because of flashcards. And hey, ya gotta know math.
My 11:59 was the moment my Mom took her last breath (in July). That moment will be forever etched into my brain. We watched her suffer for 2 months from Liver Cancer. I can’t begin to explain how difficult it was to see her like that. No matter how hard I try, I can’t wake up from this nightmare…I can’t run away from reality. I have no choice but to go through it…there’s no way around it.
As if that wasn’t enough, exactly a week after the Lord took my Mom, He took my friend, April. She truly was my second Mom. I am still in total shock that I lost 2 Mom’s in a week. It is unbelievable how numb I am right now. When everything hits me (probably like a ton of bricks), it’s going to knock me to my knees. I will never know why God decided to do this. I do know that you have to make every single moment count. Tell your family and friends that you love them every chance you get…because “all we ever have is right now.” It definitely opened my eyes to how fragile life can be…it’s totally out of our human hands. Make every moment your 11:59 because you never know if 12:00 will come for you or a loved one. Our days are numbered.
“Breathe” came into my life at the “perfect” time…when I needed it most. That song truly means the world to me. Ryan, thank you for touching my heart and soul. You are so beautiful!! Shine on!! All love
My 11:59 was tackling two of the biggest obstacles I’ve ever faced in my life in two days and realizing how much love and support I get from my friends and family. I was triumphant in both respects because of the belief in myself and the support of those around me. I learned never to allow anyone let you think you aren’t good enough and that those who try to bring you down, don’t deserve to be a part of your life.
I never thought a shiny silver bus would bring such happiness to my life, a smile to my face, tears to my eyes and love in my heart. It is a symbol that carries some of the most important people in my life. It keeps them safe and brings them closer to me and my friends. When I turn a corner or see it in the horizon, I know what is coming. I know that in just a few short (or sometimes long hours) I will be in my favorite spot, with my favorite people and my favorite moment of all. The moment when I become one with the music, lights and be apart of something so special. There are fake ones out there but I my stomach still jumps when I see it. That is my 11:59. Vroom vroom.
Standing stage left with people that mean so much to me I think of them as family. The lights dim and the crowd starts screaming. A random kitsch song starts playing. Five of my favorite people in the world walk out on stage and pick up their instruments. Guitars. Drums. It starts. This is it, this is really happening. The lights get so bright. “As the sun goes down in front of me… reminds me where I want to be…” Right here, right now. My heart is full. In these moments “real life” doesn’t really matter. In these moments I am home. This is my 11:59.
I learned a lot about myself during this past year. A very dear person to me passed away in 2008 and gave me the best advice of my life. Don’t make plans- make things happen. Live in the moment because you have no idea when your last one will come and go. Thus, 11:59 to me signifies having no fear. It encourages me to go out there and be who I want to be. Do what I want to do. During the past few months that meant traveling the country learning things about myself and others. I now know that there’s a lot of things deemed “impossible” that truly aren’t. Too many people get wrapped up in plans and can’t focus enough on the now. So 11:59 for me is just that- living in THIS moment right now and not allowing regrets.
My 11:59 was the moment I heard my husband, over the phone, pull the trigger of a gun and end his life. At that moment every thing I knew about my life and everything that I had planned for my future was gone… I knew then that I was alone and that I would have to go on in this life without the only person I had ever truly loved. Trying to figure out how to do that every single day has been a burden on my soul I never thought I could live with, yet somehow I get up every morning and take a breath and I realize I’m alive, I’m still here, THERE MUST BE A REASON. So at 11:59 every night weather my eyes are closed yet or not it means the next day is coming and the possibilities of that reason showing it’s self to me today could bring happiness to my life again. I look forward to 12:00 when the light is shown on me and it engulfs me.
When I walk into my classroom every day and see my kids looking at me with expectation and anticipation, actually looking forward to learning, I know that I am making a difference in their lives.
I have met some of the best people in the past year and have made some incredible friendships – through music. These are people scattered all over the US and Canada that I might never have met if it weren’t for our mutual love of music.
At a concert, when the lights go down, and the crowd starts to scream, and you hear those first beats of the drum – that anticipation and adrenaline rush gives me that 11:59 moment every time. Go to a show! Experience the music.
Playing the female lead in a high school play – at the end of my last scene I stalked off the stage still in character and the director grabbed me and twirled me around. I will never forget that moment.
In college my best friend and I kicked the asses of the entire pledging class at her boyfriend’s fraternity in Beirut. We then beat the Sophomore class, then the Junior class, and they had to go wake up some alumni to get us off the table. We never had a night where we won that many games again, it was amazing.
There are so many moments in everyone’s lives like this – not necessarily a life changing event, – though some certainly are – but it’s that moment where you feel most complete, and relevant. What’s your 11:59?
my 11:59 is every time i climb the stairs out of the train station and new york city towers over me. i’ve wanted to live here since i was a little girl. now that i’m here, i’m determined to make the most out of it…to let every moment be 11:59.
my 11:59, nothing is better than that moment right after you leave home, whether in your rental car or to the airport, knowing you have hours ahead of travel that may truly suck but your heart is pumping, you’re blasting the music and grinning from ear to ear because you know damn well it’ll be worth it once you get there.
I discovered my 11:59 about 3 years ago when I was hit and run by a car while riding my bicycle out in a beautiful canyon early one morning. Since then, rarely a day passes that I don’t reflect on the fact that I may only have a minute left to embrace all this world has to offer. So many cherished minutes may not have transpired had the clock struck 12 that day… New friendships that mean the world to me. Music and musicians that rape my soul. IDK, I think some great philosopher once said “Breathe, just breathe…Let the life that you live be all that you need”
My 11:59? That’s the moment when I realize I’m about to do what makes me the most afraid. Whether it’s hurling myself out of an airplane, running into the surf behind a kayak and jumping on, when the hike is at it’s most difficult and I’m just about to go above treeline, when I’m about to tell the person I love most how much I care…it’s when I embrace my fear head on that I feel most truly alive. That’s my 11:59.
my 11:59 is every time i find a new song i love and can’t get out of my head. every time i find an artist that makes me grin like an idiot whenever they come up on shuffle. it’s every time i introduce someone to a new band they never knew about that they end up loving. it’s going to shows and feeling the bass beat in my chest. it’s living in chicago.
My 11:59 was the moment I found I was pregnant with my beautiful little boy. I felt like I was standing on the edge of the rest of my life, of everything I have ever dreamed of. The possibilities seemed endless, the world bigger. The realization that everything was going to change… It was truly incredible.
My 11:59 happened during the summer between senior year and college. I was with the most amazing girl in the world and whenever we were with each other, she was everything and the only thing that mattered. She is worth the long distance because I know we can still have that.
my 11:59 was that moment i let go everything. i let go of all the pressure coming down on me from my parents, from high school, from my “future.” it was the moment where i felt free from everything going on in my life and the depression left me. it was the moment where i felt like i actually had control of my life.
Thanks a ton! That was really helpful, I just saved your website.
I was actually looking around for a forum post on this issue, but stumbled across your site on Google!! I’m actually quite interested so will keep an eye out for updates
I’m going to cheat a little here, because I think I’ve had at least two 11:59 moments. My first happened during winter 2008. I recently got back together with my now ex boyfriend, and we had resisted any PDA all night (minus hugs, I love hugs
), and we were just sitting on a nearby picnic table at a park, just casually talking and trying to stay warm. Not even realizing it until it happened, he kissed me. All of a sudden, I felt warm inside, like as if it sparked a blazing fire that warmed my whole body up in the 40+ degree weather, my mind playing a slide show of the moments with each other I cherished over the 7 months we had dated. It felt longer than that one minute it happened, but it lifted me away from everything and the world around me, and it was just him and I; in “love.” Then again, I’m only in high school 
.
My second 11:59 moment was the first time I had my whole life just flashback in front of me, like a movie at a fast forwarding speed, as I just watched, zooming in on those few mistakes I wish I had never made. It was at that moment, where I just let it go, cutting it out of the film and just forgetting what had brought me down so much my sophomore year. I was able to convince myself that I could do better, not fall into that same situation again… watch over my friends and prevent them from following in the same footsteps. It was in that moment, that I promised myself to watch over my friends (my family), and always try to be there for them; listen to their rants, be nearby when he breaks up with her for moral support, bring happiness even when deep down I’m not feeling so great, but most of all, prove to them that I love them. More than anything.
My 11:59, the moment I live for? thats easy. The inspiring moment when I am listening to music and painting, those moments when I am so caught up in that I forget to eat or even who is sitting next to me. The moments that let me soak up the marrow of life and all of the moments that we take for granted. The limbo that I fall into whenever I am drawing or painting is my 11:59.
My 11:59 happened during the summer between senior year and college. I was with the most amazing girl in the world and whenever we were with each other, she was everything and the only thing that mattered. She is worth the long distance because I know we can still have that.
my 11:59 was that moment i let go everything. i let go of all the pressure coming down on me from my parents, from high school, from my “future.” it was the moment where i felt free from everything going on in my life and the depression left me. it was the moment where i felt like i actually had control of my life.
My 11:59 is the 5 minutes before the lights go down at a live concert and the band walks on stage. I have all this nervous energy in me, and the minute the lights go down and the crowd goes nuts – the nervousness is gone and its nothing but pure adrenaline. It doesn’t matter who the band is – there are some who’s music has touched me more than others. Live music is my 11:59 – it touches my soul like nothing else.
My original 11:59 came on July 23, 2002 when I received a phone call that my friend had been killed in a car accident. She had called the night before and I didn’t call her back – I was busy…I struggle with wanting to be perfect and getting everything done. 11:59 is making time for what is important to me. It is answering that call whenever it may be,to let whoever is on the other end know that I am there in good times and in bad. Life is difficult to say the least, but we should all make an effort to have an endless amount of moments that we can call our 11:59. “Once in a while you can get shown the light, In the strangest of places, If you look at it right.”
I just had my 11:59. I said goodbye to every bad thing and negative memory, every back-stabbing “friend”, every lie, every insult, every suicide attempt, and every regurgitated meal. I am starting over right now and I am going to beat this. I am God’s creature, and I have been enlightened.
My 11:59 is when my students “get it”, I mean really “get it”. I teach a group of kids that are way lower than their peers. Everyday they work so hard to keep up. When the light bulb truly goes off and they have that look, it’s my 11:59 every time! This is when I am reassured of what I am doing.
My 11:59 is when I realize that I know where I’m going, in terms of my career and future family life. Its when I kiss Jon and everything just melts away.
my 11:59 is the moment I realize I am lost in a kiss with my husband… and then it’s right there when I find myself
I thought my 11:59 was when I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 22. I thought I finally understood all there was to lose.
I thought my 11:59 was when my 16 month old son was run over by a car and i really understood all there was to lose.
My real 11:59 comes every morning, when my son comes down the stairs smiling and shouts, “Hey, Dad is awake”!
Ten years ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I was devastated, terrified, angry – why was this happening to me? I was 19 – in my freshman year of college – this was supposed to be the time of my life.
I went through chemo, radiation, I lost my hair, I looked awful. Most of my friends ditched me – except for the ones that mattered. I went in remission. After 4 years they declared me cancer free. I was relieved to have it finished, and behind me, but still couldn’t correlate why this had happened to me.
Then a good friend of mine told me her neice had been diagnosed with hodgkin’s disease, the same cancer I had – she wanted me to talk to her about my experience and ease her fears. I agreed – why not, right?
The moment I sat down at the café, this kid looking at me with fear in her eyes – something clicked. I realised I had been given this disease to grow as a person, and fight it, and beat it, so that I could help others that were going through the same thing.
I started a local support group for teenagers with cancer, and every meeting, I know this is why I was put here. To share my life, and my heart with these kids – to take myself out of my comfort zone, allow myself to feel, and love, and live. That is my 11:59.
“Breathe, just breathe, take the world off your shoulders, and put it on me…” this song is my life, every day. Ryan – thank you for being such an inspiration to me.
My 11:59 is when I’m inspired. When I realize who and what mean the most to me. When I open my eyes and see that although I am a small part of the big picture, I can make a difference.
My 11:59 will be the moment I finally get the confidence and take the leap to pursue what I love, which is music.
The dream is to be recognized. Not famous, just recognized.
My 11:59 was the day I got recognized for my music videos for the first time. I have been making them since I was 13 and am now in college working towards being a director for my own TV show. It was then that I realized this is what I was born to do. I realized there is no greater escape or joy for me than creating something. Something powerful that people can relate and escape to. TV and music were the 2 things I always found solace in when things were not good in my life and I realized there are other people out there that need to escape and many turn to television shows. I want to be that person. that person that helps you escape from a world that is not always right. Music and TV have shaped my life in ways I could never have imagined. My 11:59 showed me what I was capable of and to never ever doubt myself because you never know what is on the other side. That is my 11:59
My 11:59 is every moment that I choose love over my job’s outdated ideas of what is right and wrong. It’s every time I feel that passion for someone they won’t allow me to speak to, the thrill of doing it anyway because my heart says it’s never wrong.
My 11:59 came the day my husband died. It was only then I realized that we can’t take one second of life for granted. It’s been a struggle to find myself these past three years – but each and every day I grow stronger – and I know exactly who I am now.
My 11:59 continues as I learn to break out of my self imposed hermit hood – as I escape the dark moods of grief – and rediscover life.
My 11:59 is now … in this moment … and in every moment that follows. Because life is precious and I refuse to waste just even one more second.
My 11:59 is easy. It is whenever I am rocking one of my granddaughters to sleep. Makes me realize what unconditional love really is and How much I want the world to be better for her. You will never know how much your parents love you until you hold your own child in your arms.
My 11:59 is when i decided to step out of comfort zone to start everything that i love from a scratch. I know that change is going to be like a suicide but I decided to do that because I would never forgive myself if I didn’t. So, wish me luck for that.
And Btw Ryan, I discovered through David Cook and now I am a fan of both of you as people and musicians.
love
~mon
My 11:59 is when I talked a girl out of committing suicide, when I helped a married couple stay together AND fix their problems, when I realized my lifes goal is to help people…that’s my 11:59.
My 11:59 is any moment where I make a connection with someone. Whether it be my best friend, my brother, a stranger on the street. Any sort of moment that reminds me that everyone is dealing with the same sort of day to day life drama, that in that moment…doesn’t really matter. Because in that moment, nothing else matters or exists, there is no end game, there is so hidden meanings. Its just you and another person trying to make sense of all the insanity that goes on.
My 11:59 is the moment where I finally have the courage to let go of everything that has been hurting me and holding me back; To jump from my comfort zone that really isn’t comfortable at all. 11:59 is the moment where I’m free falling, but the important part is that I’m free.
My 11:59 is that moment when we realize we are all connected..through the air we breathe and the ground we walk on..and we learn to respect and care for our fellow human beings as if they are our brother or sister…
Well I’m about to graduate college. It was the last wish from a couple of my closest loved ones I’ve lost. Huge accomplishment. Probably the biggest I’ll ever face off. That’s my 11:59
My 11:59 was deciding that I wanted to do something for me and not care what people thought. I decided to go to a concert in NC with Ryan Star and David Cook alone. My friends thought it was crazy and they are not fans of rock music. In the past I have let what people thought sway me from doing things that I enjoy because others didn’t want to do them with me. I had a great time at that concert and met interesting people. An 11:59 moment is that moment that you give yourself permission to step out of your comfort zone and be open to new experiences.
Years ago while in Italy I accidentally skied into Switzerland. When I got back to the top
of the mtn I found myself on top on the Alps looking around at the world before me all alone. But what came over me was an amazing calm and sense of peace. I just felt like something clicked right there, at that moment. I believe in some way that’s why I quit my job, moved away from where I was born and raised, drove across the country to live in Tahoe so I could snowboard as much as possible and maybe get that feeling of peace, calm, and centeredness again. It happens sometimes.
It took a bunch of years but eventually I had to make that jump. My 11:59 came when I decided to do it and then came to a head when I walked in and quit my job. No going back then.
I took a huge pay cut, moved to a tough new place in some ways away from all my friends and family and it’s the best thing I’ve ever done and the scariest. Doesn’t any of this make sense?
My 11:59 is when I’m affected. When something affects me in a raw and intense way. I live for these moments because they allow me to turn it into a creative explosion. It’s a beautiful process.
my 11:59 is right.now. Within a month’s time my job has suspended me for 3 days, reduced my pay, and suspended me w/out pay until further notice (just finished week two, now…) all due to multiple discrimination and harassment. I go to work to work, and maybe that’s my problem too? Maybe I notice too much. I’m scared, because I want out. Out of my parents house, out in the world living independently, out living my life my way. I’ve been trying to become financially independent for years and w/ this job I’ve been able to pay for ALL of my bills…just not rent. I can’t afford it all by myself. But really, this job was not to be my career. I graduated from SCAD with a degree in Comics and THATS what I want to do w/ the rest of my life.
So I consider this to be my wake up call. Everyday while I’m still clinging onto my clearance I’m applying for new jobs that’ll pay the bills (and hopefully have enough left to move out/stabilize my Savings…?) and work on my drawing/stories. I’m living everyday as optimistically as I can and I’m attaching myself to the hips of all that are willing to help support me through this hard time. It’s all I got right now. I think this moment is the most emotional draining time I’ve ever had in my life, but I’m strong willed and I’m going to prove to those racist/sexist/etc arses that they can’t drag me down! >D! HA! lol
P.S. (on a side note, Ryan, two days after I was escorted off the premises of my job I saw you live in concert for the first time. Your words to you EP are my backbone right now. I have always lived by “never giving up” and “never letting people get you down”/etc. Your EP is and has been in my car since that day and it help reassures me that it’ll be okay. So, dude, seriously, thank you.
! See you in two days for part deux! XD!)
My 11:59 is the precise moment that counts the most.
Knowing the moment may be your last with someone you hold closest to your heart and saying everything you’ve ever wanted to say….that’s my 11:59.
October 5th was my first experience like that. It won’t be my last.
I hope you all make the moment count.
Music, Lyric, Melody, Symphony, Rhapsody, Clarity, Silence, Beauty in Mistake, Breath, Scent, Emotion, Tears, Realization, Taste, Smell, Touch, Kiss, Hug, You, Me, Them, Us! That is my 11:59
To put it simply, music is my 11:59. Music that defines a moment, defines a life. It’s being a part of something amazing, and knowing that you’re not alone.
My 11:59 is right now. My whole life leading up to this moment. It’s all rolled into one. One that makes my 11:59.
My 11:59 was the day that I learned that things in my life are going to happen. Things that are beyond my control, and that I can’t stop some things no matter what. I learned to just live my life with no worries and no regrets, and especially no hate.
There are lots of 11:59s for me. I try to be aware of them as often as possible. The most recent one I had was at the end of this incredible experience I had doing the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer 3 Day Walk in San Francisco. 60 miles over the course of three days to raise money for a cure. At the closing ceremony, as the sun was going down, everyone bent and removed a shoe from their aching, tired feet and held them aloft. It’s a tribute to the survivors, to show them we walked for them, and for the future. That moment was so full of power and love it was indescribable. I felt so lucky to be part of it. This is what it looked like: http://twitpic.com/kdtic.
my 11:59 was totally unexpected. After 9/11 I moved from Washington, D.C. to Tulsa, just cause I was just too close to all of it. And I didn’t really make a conscious decision of why, I just did. I knew I wanted to be closer to my family, but I wasn’t sure that was it really, cause whenever I wanted to see them, I got on a plane and went and saw them. So I never could really articulate why I moved to Tulsa Oklahoma further from Washington, D.C. in more than just miles.
But 11:59 came when we were celebrating my older brothers birthday 3 years ago February and my sister law fell to the floor with a brain anuerysm. I knew right then and the subsequent weeks while she was in the hospital that the reason I came to Tulsa was just for that reason. There were too many things that night and the months ahead that told me the reason I came back to Tulsa and it was to be there that night that she collapse, to be there every day in the hospital with my brother and then to be there again the weeks my sister in law had to be at home alone when my brother went back to work.
And you know what, most people would have thought it was a burden or something, but I just saw it as that 11:59 that I was just supposed to be right there.
Wow,well… I think my 11:59 started last year. It was a very hard year,for me and for my family. First the lost of my granpa, then my uncle suffered a huge accident but at the end God made a miracle and now he’s better than before the accident in every single way. That fact affected me a lot. First, I didn’t know what will happen with him..it was one of those moments when all you can think is that it was the end of his life, when hope is there but you can’t find it, when tears come to you even if you resist to cry, when family meetings were in the hospital and the silence reigned at nights. I was in my last year at school in the last days of classes..everyday that I went there I was waiting for the message that will tell me that it’s over. But it wasn’t over. God wanted something else from him and from us. Since the moment when doctors said that he will make it, there were only happy tears. Our family changed. Today we still fighting but I realized that despite I didn’t see it, the hope was there all the time… it was little,yes..but it was there with me.
So, since then I can say that you really don’t know what will happen tomorrow..but you have to make plans , because you live and if you don’t make them you won’t know where to go. But also those plans have to include your dreams, if you don’t try to reach them you’ll regret it when that day comes to you. I think it’s a matter of enjoy each day, maybe it’s a normal day..but you have to enjoy it too and at the same time keep trying not to lose the hope that will give you the strength to go on in difficult times. Appreciate the little things, enjoy every experience. For me what keeps me happy in a normal day is music..I can’t live without it, and Ryan is a part of that. Thanks!
PS: Sorry for my not so perfect english, I’m trying to make it better.
My 11:59 is RIGHT NOW, this precise moment in my life. My whole life I thought I knew who I was and where I wanted to be headed. I thought I had a plan, a career, a future, and that everything will work out fine. But can you really plan it all out? The things that I have accomplished, do they really juice me? I realized that I’ve never REALLY taken control of the wheel. I just played out a role, as a daughter, as a student, as a girlfriend, as a professional. Was it really my decision? Am I enjoying myself in the process? I found myself really unhappy with decisions that I made both professionally and personally. Who am I? I’m still figuring that out. It’s o.k. to admit that. Where I want to be? I still have no idea. All I know is that I want to be HAPPY. I am trying to reinvent myself, trying to live, to learn, to laugh, to cry, to forgive, to love, and to TRUST myself again. I don’t know anything but I know this: I have to make the most of it and it starts RIGHT NOW.
I look at life like a natural hole in a rock… the kinds you see at the ocean or on an Irish countryside. Viewed from the road, at a distance, it is a rock with a hole… beautiful but distant, indistinct and impenetrable. But up close, it is a doorway into another world. Reach one hand in… and it is as if some unseen plane is within reach. When my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer a year ago, I felt as if the next year was spent looking at that rock from a distance, refusing to see the infinite and instead seeing only the blank hole. After sitting in the hospital room for hours waiting for the surgeon to emerge and give me the “news”, I realized I was finally ready to walk up and touch the rock, to feel for myself if the world as I knew it was ending or beginning afresh. Now, four months later with the news that the cancer is gone and our life together being redefined, I feel myself reaching into that unknown gap- on the door between the real and the possible, the mortal and the infinite… and I can almost perceive the fingers on the other side. That is my 11:59.
It’s when I am driving in the morning and I see all the other cars with personalized license plates and bumper stickers. Effects that are communicating ideas that I find too be simple, too ignorant of the complexities of this world we live in. Then realizing the beauty of the communication, the liberation it holds for the owner of the vehicle and feeling happy for them.
My 11:59 is the moment that I let go of all the bull shit in my life and realize there is a greater picture out there. I learned that if you try to hold everything in the weight of everything will eventually drive you 6 feet under.
11:59 isn’t just something that happens in the past..there are millions of 11:59′s waiting for me in life. I guess you could say that my 11:59 is expecting the unexpected and taking everything that comes my way for what it is…a lesson to be learned.
My first 11:59 came on the day I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior, which happened, oh gosh, about 15 years ago. Since that day I try to live every day in such a way as to reflect His love, as much as I can.
My next 11:59 came the moment I realized that the man who would become my husband, WAS the man who would become my husband. It was this sharp moment of clarity in which I thought, “YES. I will spend the rest of my life with this man.” And I never looked back.
The next 11:59s came when each of my beautiful children were born – one on September 10, 2000, and the second on September 18, 2006. Those were the moments in which I realized my heart no longer resided in my own body, but in the bodies of the tiny girls who I now had complete responsibility for. It was terrifying and exhausting but, in a way, also freeing, because really, you cannot continue to be the same sort of selfish and me-first person you might have been once children become a part of your life. At least, I couldn’t!
I continue to have 11:59s every time I realize I have the chance to make a difference in someone’s life – every kind word, every unselfish gesture. I try to take every opportunity I can to make someone smile. I try to encourage beauty and love. I try to support people and causes I believe in.
In short, love, overall, is my 11:59.
My 11:59 happens every time I go out for a run. I hit the wall and want to give up, but then I realize what I’m running for, training for my goals. My short term goal is to run 10 KM race next year and long term is trek to Base Camp on Mt. Everest in 2013. It’s the moment I realize I need to stop being ‘So Ordinary’.
Thank you Ryan! Your song inspired me to set goals and climb mountains!
I actually have 2 11:59′s. One was Oct 24th, 1987 and the other was Dec 17th, 1990. On those days, I held in my arms the two most important people in the universe. My daughter who is my sunshine, and my son who is my stability. I never completely understood someone saying “I would die for them” until I held them. They are my reason for living and for dying. Every day was something new and different with them. My son is older and on his own, yet he is still there if I need him. My daughter, though she has a disability, looks at everyday as a gift. I have learned from her that you can’t look at life as having stumbling blocks to pull you down. You have to look at them as stepping stones to something better. I guess you could say my 11:59 is every second of everyday since I had them. “Blessings come in small packages, but they grow everyday.” Don’t waist time counting your blessings, just enjoy them while you have them.
My 11:59?
It happens over and over again.
I’ve lived it two thousand times.
It’s always a Thin Place – an instant when Heaven and Earth come close to each other.
It’s the moment of birth.
A new mom and dad see their child for the first time, miraculously crossing the threshold into this life.
First breath, first cry….transition from the cord to the air.
And a young girl becomes a mom.
And a young man a dad.
A baby becomes part of this world.
Unbelievable and amazing – every.single.time.
It never gets old.
I always hold my breath for just a second in that moment.
I’m a guardian of the threshold into this new life.
It’s my 11:59 and I live it daily….just like you do with your music, Ryan.
Keep going. You’re on the right track, here.
-SC
9/12-14/08 – a weekend when anything was possible, people cared, and nothing could go wrong. All that mattered were the people I was with and the things I could do. Life was perfect for three days, even in the rain. Especially in the rain.
My 11:59?
Every hug or listening ear when you need one. Every time the lights dim and that one song starts. Every ticket purchase. Every line. Every flight. Every road trip. Waking up every day. Every passport stamp. It’s nights I won’t always remember, shared with people I’ll never forget. Every holiday. Every birthday. Fireworks.
My 11:59 is every loss…live for those you’ve lost along the way. It’s meeting new people that can [and will] change your life. It’s every lyric I sing along to and every drum solo I play on the dash of my car. Every dollar earned. Every time I make someone else smile. Every tattoo. Every friendly toll booth worker. Every time my dog cuddles up in my lap. Every time I hit snooze. Every football game. It’s winning trivia. It’s playing Powerball. It’s every reunion. It’s the orange glow of South Florida every time I drive south and every drive through the Narnia door to the place I’ll always call home. It’s every good conversation.
My 11:59 is every time I get butterflies. It’s stage left. It’s home. It’s my family. It’s every friend along the way. It’s every moment that makes this thing we call life so. damn. good.
When the lights go down and the music starts and every single time, it feels like the first time.
Then that moment somewhere in the middle when you look at the faces around you and realize we’re all connected and nothing else matters.
And after it’s all over, understanding that the moment you experienced will never happen again.
It’s living to be back in that moment. It means taking risks and letting go. It means doing whatever it takes to find that moment you want to be in forever.
My favorite band in the entire world announced they were playing at a venue in walking distance of my college dorm in the middle of finals week on 4/29/08. Now you have to understand that bands rarely come to this town, much less twice a year(they had already been here in Jan.) Even though it was finals week and I had a final at 8am the next day, I decided that i just HAD to go.It ended up being one of the best nights of my life. I got to hear part of my favorite song of theirs(its an unreleased song that the lead singer hates so it NEVER gets played) and the band wished me luck on my final. The next day, I took that final on 4 hours sleep and aced it. That is my 11:59 moment
Where to start with my 11:59.The last year of my life has been pretty crazy. After my grandpa being told he had cancer, 3 months later being told he was cancer free, and then 3 months later being once again told the cancer was back. My grandpa lost his battle 3 months later. One of the comments he said was “I wish i would have done more.” At that point i decided i was going to stop playing it safe and take chances. My big 11:59 happened in April. I quit my job and moved to a new state. I pretty much started over. I didn’t know anyone. So Ordinary is the song that gave me the encouragement that i needed. Be strong and be brave and begin your story. 5 months later i can say it is the best thing i ever did!
11:59 is also music for me. Ryan’s music has taught me that there is so much more to music than words and a melody. Music is an emotion. Anytime i hear Ryan sing i can feel the emotion that he is feeling.
The other 11:59 moment i will share is part of Hiedi’s. I can’t wait to be apart of the Non-profit organization.
Music is believing. The more you close your eyes, the more you hear~~
There is not just one 11:59. It happens 2x a day! There are many moments to live and enjoy to the fullest, and 11:59 reminds me of that fact.
My 11:59 moment relates to the theme of looking at what you Can do instead of what you can’t. Having a family member with disabilities has instilled in me patience, kindness, love, and a sense of self. It is hard hearing “No you can’t” when you know you can. Helping children realize their potential is why I became a Special Education teacher. Ryan’s music focuses on uplifting and inspirational lyrics and music. Yes he can!
My 11:59 is that breath of time that slips into an ordinary day and in a moment of clarity I realize how insanely fortunate I have become.
It’s easy to get weighed down with the act of living day to day, with work, responsibilites, and the mundane details that keep your life moving forward. But in that moment of clarity I remember to be thankful for the wonderful life I’ve created with an amazing man. We’re healthy, happy, and loved.
Ryan’s music is the soundtrack to my life and I spend every day enjoying his music and letting those little breaths of time remind me how far I’ve come.
The moment I realized I couldn’t marry the guy I was engaged to. It opened the door for the life I have now – one I wouldn’t trade for anything. True love. A place I can call “home” and actually feel like it is one. Happiness.
My 11:59, I think is just living my life to the fullest and not caring what other people think of me. I am 17, I should be just living life with no cares in the world, just being myself, a crazy kid. Finding my place in this big world. Finding out who I really am. I know that when I do find that out, I will embrace it with all that I can. That is my 11:59.
My 11:59? It’s that moment when both of my sons, ages 28 and 23, are having a lively discussion at the top of their lungs in the family room, the music is loud, their dad, my life partner for 31 glorious years, is sitting in his recliner with a huge grin on his face, rocking our granddaughter as she naps, the boys’ significant others are on the sidelines, chatting about babies and ‘the boys’…and I suddenly feel my heart open and spill out into my soul, into my very being…all the love, all the joy, all the blessings that God has bestowed. It’s that moment when I realize that I have no regrets in life, that this is EXACTLY where I am supposed to be, and that regardless of what the future brings, this moment, my 11:59, is where all the long, winding, difficult roads throughout my journey have led me. To this place, to this bliss.
Oprah calls it an AHA moment, I call it the day my life began. It was the day I finally realized that music isn’t just music. Music, is my 11:59.
My whole life I’ve loved music. I’m always listening to something. Songs for happy moods, songs for sad moods, you name it I’ve got a creatively titled playlist for it. I always knew music had healing powers, and when I was sad it would cheer me up. But in the past music cheered me up because it was an escape. The physical act of listening to it soothed me.
Well, my view on music all changed one night in the mist of an ugly, heavy, scary, and upsetting breaking down. As I sat in my car weeping “Breathe” came on. I listened to the words, truly listened, and heard the emotion in every word. Without even realizing it I felt better, I had stopped crying and a feeling of comfort permeated my body. I had my AHA moment. I realized that even if the lyrics to a song seem abstract and you think they dont apply to you, they do. Every song out there has a message, and it is through listening to these messages that we can begin to gain assuagement.
That night I learned a valuable lesson when life gets hard and you think you can’t go on, breathe, just breathe, because in the end that’s your only constant obligation in life, it’s all you need to get through the moment. And in the end, that’s all hard times are, just moments, that will pass.
So with my 11:59 I’m not afraid to let the clock strike 12 and a “brand new day” to begin, I might even create a playlist for it.
My 11:59 is knowing I’m OK with the choices I’ve made in life, even if others aren’t. I have great friends (and concert buddies!), own my home, love my job, have traveled throughout 4 continents…the list goes on. I probably would not make some of the same choices again, but I have no regrets. My experiences make me who I am. I may not be where I once thought I’d be, but I’m good with where I am!
11:59 for me would be the birth of my beautiful children whom I could not live without. That moment when you get to see your child for the first time. The moment I married my best friend. The moment I wasn’t afraid to speak in public and worry about what they would think of me…My life is filled with 11:59s and there will be many more to come. The moments that mean the most..meeting Ryan Star and being called “part of the family”~definately an 11:59 for me…You are an awesome person Ryan, and your music has affected me in ways you may never know. I Thank You for your beautiful music, your powerful voice, and for you just being the kind hearted soul that you are. Much love.
I believe that life is made up of several different 11:59 moments, as we move through different phases. These moments shape who we become, if we allow ourselves to be molded. With that in mind, a few come to mind for me, all leading up to the “big one”. I believe both LOSS and GAIN can be an impetus for change. Losing a dear friend suddenly in a motorcycle accident last year, and watching his wife and 5 young children carry on in his absence, has impacted me HUGELY. She has fought daily to make good use of the life they now have, for her and her children, with her faith never wavering…and that has inspired me to make the most of every day. Conversely, my children inspire me to be the best that I can be. There’s not much better than a tiny voice saying “Mommy, will you snuggle with me?” Snuggling in and feeling their warmth, their absolute trust. It reminds me to take a minute to enjoy what is happening around me. I want to show them that they CAN make a difference in life, not to be afraid of failing, and if they see a need…don’t wait for someone else to fill it! Which brings me to my current 11:59, though it’s a work in progress. Excuse me, because it’s about to get pretty cheesy in here. But this guy here, his music, has inspired me more than I can say. “Stop trying to be so ordinary.” “This could be the year, THIS could be the moment…” and “Music is believing, the more you close your eyes the more you hear.” This time next year…my 11:59 will be finally seeing my vision for a non-profit music foundation, with a specific purpose in mind, get it’s little feet on the ground. I’ve never been so excited, so absolutely terrified, and so completely without a doubt sure that I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing. Thank you, Ryan Star.
my 11:59 is when my sister died when i was 4 that was when i realized that you could die at any time. Since then It’s been a hell of a ride but it’s only been 13 years so let’s see how this story ends eh?
There are many times that I feel alive…
When I create good art and find good art I feel alive.
When I listen to good music I feel alive.
When I have good conversations I feel alive.
When I’m around my friends and holding nothing back I feel alive.
When I go on my own little unplanned adventures I feel alive.
But I feel like there’s something bigger and better for me and it’s still on the way.
I can’t say that I have found my one, defining 11.59.
It’s out there still, but I can already feel it coming. Soon I’ll be staring my 11.59 straight in the face and I’ll know it when I get there.
But if I’m wrong and it doesn’t come soon, I will find it, I swear I’ll find it.
My 11.59 is whenever i feel alone. Usually when i travel and see an amazing sunset or scene and i have no one to share it with. Then i remember that i can be alone and see amazing sights,but things like my family, love and music are forever a piece of my very being. Ryan your music will always be a reminder of a baking hot july day on the staten island ferry looking at liberty and being thankful that i am alive. Thank you for being my reminder that life is a gift to be treasured
Wow… My mind has been tossing and turning since I was presented the idea of explaining what a 11:59 moment is to me.
11:59, one step from the abyss, or one step from heaven…
In the past two years, in three ocassions I lost everything. My home, my job, my money, everything but what matters. I got to keep those I love, and I go to keep hope. 11:59 was looking ahead, seeing the fall that awaited, and laughing because I felt like I had wings. I hoped, I fought, unafraid of 12:00.
Four months ago, I reached the peak of the mountain, the realization of many dreams, the best job I ever had, traveling to the US from Argentina, getting to meet face to face the best friends I ever had and actually doing those things I only imagined before.
Still, I keep living in 11:59, because the clock can move at any time. I plan on savouring every second and giving my all, so when midnight comes, I will let myself go with no regrets, knowing it was all worth it.
My 11:59 is when a concert is ready to start. When the lights go dim and the band or artist is ready to take the stage. And that anticipation gives me pure adrenaline. It takes me to another place and I know that I will be going to a happy place. I then become one with the music and all the other stuff goes away and I am in the moment. Live music has become the air that I breathe and I can’t live without it.
My 11:59 is 2009. This year I made a big spontaneous decision: to travel to America from the UK by myself to meet up with people who share the same passion as me, live music. It was a very random decision but the best I’ve ever made. I got to see the genuine kindness of strangers, a country I have been in love with all my life and see two amazing acts in Tennessee. I heard the song 11:59 performed live by Ryan Star there and the lyrics ‘this could the best night of my life tonight’ and it was. Since coming back I have pushed for what I want, make career decisions that will effect my whole life and done several events for charity. At work when I see the clock turn to 11:59 I remember my trip, the happiness and the excitement of hopefully doing it again next year. I also got to meet my idol
Flashcards. Flashcards make the world go round. And I bet the time that flashcards are at the most use is 11:59. They helped me get through nursing school and I bet they helped your doctor get through Medical school. My sister knows that Juneau is the Alaska state capital and not Anchorage because of flashcards. My kids know math because of flashcards. And hey, ya gotta know math.
My 11:59 was the moment my Mom took her last breath (in July). That moment will be forever etched into my brain. We watched her suffer for 2 months from Liver Cancer. I can’t begin to explain how difficult it was to see her like that. No matter how hard I try, I can’t wake up from this nightmare…I can’t run away from reality. I have no choice but to go through it…there’s no way around it.
As if that wasn’t enough, exactly a week after the Lord took my Mom, He took my friend, April. She truly was my second Mom. I am still in total shock that I lost 2 Mom’s in a week. It is unbelievable how numb I am right now. When everything hits me (probably like a ton of bricks), it’s going to knock me to my knees. I will never know why God decided to do this. I do know that you have to make every single moment count. Tell your family and friends that you love them every chance you get…because “all we ever have is right now.” It definitely opened my eyes to how fragile life can be…it’s totally out of our human hands. Make every moment your 11:59 because you never know if 12:00 will come for you or a loved one. Our days are numbered.
“Breathe” came into my life at the “perfect” time…when I needed it most. That song truly means the world to me. Ryan, thank you for touching my heart and soul. You are so beautiful!! Shine on!! All love
My 11:59 was tackling two of the biggest obstacles I’ve ever faced in my life in two days and realizing how much love and support I get from my friends and family. I was triumphant in both respects because of the belief in myself and the support of those around me. I learned never to allow anyone let you think you aren’t good enough and that those who try to bring you down, don’t deserve to be a part of your life.
I never thought a shiny silver bus would bring such happiness to my life, a smile to my face, tears to my eyes and love in my heart. It is a symbol that carries some of the most important people in my life. It keeps them safe and brings them closer to me and my friends. When I turn a corner or see it in the horizon, I know what is coming. I know that in just a few short (or sometimes long hours) I will be in my favorite spot, with my favorite people and my favorite moment of all. The moment when I become one with the music, lights and be apart of something so special. There are fake ones out there but I my stomach still jumps when I see it. That is my 11:59. Vroom vroom.
Standing stage left with people that mean so much to me I think of them as family. The lights dim and the crowd starts screaming. A random kitsch song starts playing. Five of my favorite people in the world walk out on stage and pick up their instruments. Guitars. Drums. It starts. This is it, this is really happening. The lights get so bright. “As the sun goes down in front of me… reminds me where I want to be…” Right here, right now. My heart is full. In these moments “real life” doesn’t really matter. In these moments I am home. This is my 11:59.
I learned a lot about myself during this past year. A very dear person to me passed away in 2008 and gave me the best advice of my life. Don’t make plans- make things happen. Live in the moment because you have no idea when your last one will come and go. Thus, 11:59 to me signifies having no fear. It encourages me to go out there and be who I want to be. Do what I want to do. During the past few months that meant traveling the country learning things about myself and others. I now know that there’s a lot of things deemed “impossible” that truly aren’t. Too many people get wrapped up in plans and can’t focus enough on the now. So 11:59 for me is just that- living in THIS moment right now and not allowing regrets.
My 11:59 was the moment I heard my husband, over the phone, pull the trigger of a gun and end his life. At that moment every thing I knew about my life and everything that I had planned for my future was gone… I knew then that I was alone and that I would have to go on in this life without the only person I had ever truly loved. Trying to figure out how to do that every single day has been a burden on my soul I never thought I could live with, yet somehow I get up every morning and take a breath and I realize I’m alive, I’m still here, THERE MUST BE A REASON. So at 11:59 every night weather my eyes are closed yet or not it means the next day is coming and the possibilities of that reason showing it’s self to me today could bring happiness to my life again. I look forward to 12:00 when the light is shown on me and it engulfs me.
When I walk into my classroom every day and see my kids looking at me with expectation and anticipation, actually looking forward to learning, I know that I am making a difference in their lives.
I have met some of the best people in the past year and have made some incredible friendships – through music. These are people scattered all over the US and Canada that I might never have met if it weren’t for our mutual love of music.
At a concert, when the lights go down, and the crowd starts to scream, and you hear those first beats of the drum – that anticipation and adrenaline rush gives me that 11:59 moment every time. Go to a show! Experience the music.
Playing the female lead in a high school play – at the end of my last scene I stalked off the stage still in character and the director grabbed me and twirled me around. I will never forget that moment.
In college my best friend and I kicked the asses of the entire pledging class at her boyfriend’s fraternity in Beirut. We then beat the Sophomore class, then the Junior class, and they had to go wake up some alumni to get us off the table. We never had a night where we won that many games again, it was amazing.
There are so many moments in everyone’s lives like this – not necessarily a life changing event, – though some certainly are – but it’s that moment where you feel most complete, and relevant. What’s your 11:59?
my 11:59 is every time i climb the stairs out of the train station and new york city towers over me. i’ve wanted to live here since i was a little girl. now that i’m here, i’m determined to make the most out of it…to let every moment be 11:59.
my 11:59, nothing is better than that moment right after you leave home, whether in your rental car or to the airport, knowing you have hours ahead of travel that may truly suck but your heart is pumping, you’re blasting the music and grinning from ear to ear because you know damn well it’ll be worth it once you get there.
I discovered my 11:59 about 3 years ago when I was hit and run by a car while riding my bicycle out in a beautiful canyon early one morning. Since then, rarely a day passes that I don’t reflect on the fact that I may only have a minute left to embrace all this world has to offer. So many cherished minutes may not have transpired had the clock struck 12 that day… New friendships that mean the world to me. Music and musicians that rape my soul. IDK, I think some great philosopher once said “Breathe, just breathe…Let the life that you live be all that you need”
My 11:59? That’s the moment when I realize I’m about to do what makes me the most afraid. Whether it’s hurling myself out of an airplane, running into the surf behind a kayak and jumping on, when the hike is at it’s most difficult and I’m just about to go above treeline, when I’m about to tell the person I love most how much I care…it’s when I embrace my fear head on that I feel most truly alive. That’s my 11:59.
my 11:59 is every time i find a new song i love and can’t get out of my head. every time i find an artist that makes me grin like an idiot whenever they come up on shuffle. it’s every time i introduce someone to a new band they never knew about that they end up loving. it’s going to shows and feeling the bass beat in my chest. it’s living in chicago.