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| The Heartland Tour w/ Lecrae...we did meet and greet tickets for this one! |
Let me tell you a little about how I grew to become one of the biggest Switchfoot Fangirls there ever was. It's a bit of a love story.
I was in 8th or 9th grade...whenever A Walk To Remember came out and every teenage girl was going NUTS, that was
about the time. Switchfoot wrote (and sings) a few songs on the movie
soundtrack and since I was obsessed, I saved my money, went to Target, bought the
$14 CD, and memorized every single song...Switchfoot songs
included.
Fast forward five-ish years. I
meet Josh Boersma freshman year of college and Jon Foreman (lead singer of Switchfoot) is the
screensaver on his laptop. It's a sweaty, loooong-haired, UP CLOSE, picture of
Jon singing into his microphone. Josh was RAVING about THAT'S HOW CLOSE HE
WAS TO HIM (terrifying). And I just DID. NOT. get it. The Switchfoot songs were usually the ones I skipped on my Wow CD's (bless)...and they only had like, one song on the radio.
Disclaimer: 2007 Mollie didn't realize there was a lot more to the music industry than just what was played on MTV music videos and Star 102.5 in the mornings.
Disclaimer: 2007 Mollie didn't realize there was a lot more to the music industry than just what was played on MTV music videos and Star 102.5 in the mornings.
So the first time I saw Josh's ridiculous computer background picture I seriously said to him, "Who is that?! It's super creepy you have him as your
background. Everyone who sits behind you in class will see that huge face." And then Josh goes, "That's Jon Foreman! He's the 13th Disciple!" Which I thought was EVEN WEIRDER. Of course he had to add, "I have a BIG man crush on Jon. I've seen him in concert five times. Met him twice. He remembered me, so...yea."
College Josh Boersma, man. I wish you all had the chance to meet him. He was really something.
Time went on and this weird friend of mine turned into my best friend in the world. We even ended up at the same Relient K/Switchfoot Concert in Cedar Falls (he with another girl, and me with another guy...I was there to see Relient K sing Sadie Hawkins Dance, Josh was obviously there to see his boy, Jon). A few years later my best friend became my boyfriend. 11 months went by and that boyfriend asked me to marry him...six months after, this fiancee became my husband. There's our little love story in a nutshell.
Do you know how much time Josh and I spent driving in the car during that time? Back and forth from Ames to Manson to Ankeny to Ames and around again for holidays and weekend visits and to do loads of laundry?
A lot. We spent a LOT of time in the car together.
And do you know what we did in the car? Mostly we argued about what music we wanted to listen to. Because we were both big babies, we got a little mean about it. He wanted to listen to the new Switchfoot albums that came out every couple of years over and over and over and I wanted to listen to...not that.
Do you know what happened when I finally gave in and realized, "This is my life now. We can either fight about stupid things, or I can learn to love Jon Foreman The 13th Disciple and Switchfoot as much as Josh loves them."
Car rides got a whole lot more fun. Other stuff started happening too...
...we ended up staying out until 1:30am last fall with a bunch of freaks listening to Jon do an Aftershow by his tour busses in the Seven Flags Event Center parking lot. #whatisourlife
...I listen to Switchfoot in our house during the day far more than any other Pandora station or artist on our iTunes.
...I plan trips and dates around when and where Switchfoot is touring.
...After listening to Josh's favorite songs, specifically paying attention to the lyrics, I feel like I understand my husband better.
...I genuinely LOVE the music. If you've not heard anything from their last three or four albums, I'm not not being dramatic, YOU NEED TO (this is coming from a Top-40-Katy-Perry-lover). It's some of the best music I've ever heard. The gospel message in each album is so clear without being IN YOUR FACE CUTE CHRISTIAN MUSIC.
...I wear their concert tee's as part of my daily attire.........................who. am. i.
...Since Josh doesn't have time, I closely follow Switchfoot on social media and update him on the funny videos they post, where they'll be traveling next, or when they're dropping a new album. And I don't just 'like' the band...I follow each individual member on Instagram. When I become a cheerleader of something I GO HARD.
It took some time, but I can honestly say I love those five guys and the music they make as much as Josh does. It seems like such a silly small thing...but it's funny for me to look back at our relationship, how it's changed so much...and see that freaking Switchfoot OF ALL THINGS is something that has had this little 'reserved space' in each of the past ten years we've known each other. It's become OUR favorite road tripping music, without argument. It's what WE listen to when we want to get excited about something. They're the songs we cranked at the farmhouse while we were on different floors working TOGETHER, patching cracks in the walls. I remember I could hear Josh actually singing (something he never does, even at concerts) and I thought, "Okay yea this music is pretty good."
Can I take a minute to show you what I mean? This is currently our favorite song...spend three minutes listening and try telling me you don'twant need some Switchfoot in your life.
College Josh Boersma, man. I wish you all had the chance to meet him. He was really something.
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| Full disclosure...guess who also now has about 20 up-close pictures of Jon Foreman's sweaty face? One, Mollie Boersma. |
Do you know how much time Josh and I spent driving in the car during that time? Back and forth from Ames to Manson to Ankeny to Ames and around again for holidays and weekend visits and to do loads of laundry?
A lot. We spent a LOT of time in the car together.
And do you know what we did in the car? Mostly we argued about what music we wanted to listen to. Because we were both big babies, we got a little mean about it. He wanted to listen to the new Switchfoot albums that came out every couple of years over and over and over and I wanted to listen to...not that.
Do you know what happened when I finally gave in and realized, "This is my life now. We can either fight about stupid things, or I can learn to love Jon Foreman The 13th Disciple and Switchfoot as much as Josh loves them."
Car rides got a whole lot more fun. Other stuff started happening too...
 |
| Looking for America Tour with Relient K. |
...I listen to Switchfoot in our house during the day far more than any other Pandora station or artist on our iTunes.
...I plan trips and dates around when and where Switchfoot is touring.
...After listening to Josh's favorite songs, specifically paying attention to the lyrics, I feel like I understand my husband better.
...I genuinely LOVE the music. If you've not heard anything from their last three or four albums, I'm not not being dramatic, YOU NEED TO (this is coming from a Top-40-Katy-Perry-lover). It's some of the best music I've ever heard. The gospel message in each album is so clear without being IN YOUR FACE CUTE CHRISTIAN MUSIC.
...I wear their concert tee's as part of my daily attire.........................who. am. i.
...Since Josh doesn't have time, I closely follow Switchfoot on social media and update him on the funny videos they post, where they'll be traveling next, or when they're dropping a new album. And I don't just 'like' the band...I follow each individual member on Instagram. When I become a cheerleader of something I GO HARD.
 |
| Real quick...let's talk about the demographics of the Switchfoot audience. There are nerdy youth group kids, 45-year-old guys wearing backpacks, moms WITH THEIR BABIES, teenagers, homeschool groups, guys being hardcore and scary in a mosh pit, and then there's me and Josh. It's the most awkward and confusingly wonderful thing I've ever witnessed. |
Can I take a minute to show you what I mean? This is currently our favorite song...spend three minutes listening and try telling me you don't
Life is short; I wanna live it well
One life, one story to tell
Life is short; I wanna live it well
And you're the one I'm living for
Awake all my soul
Every breath that you take is a miracle
Life is short I wanna live it well
It's just funny to think that 15 years ago I was listening to Mandy Moore sing 'Only Hope' on a blue CD player in my room, and Josh was probably in Ankeny listening to Jon Foreman sing 'Only Hope' on the same CD. And now here we are. Just loving what the other one loves.
How was that for a love story? ;)
MmB
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