Influence
A couple of years ago, I shot a Shinedown concert for a local radio station in Charleston. It was in a big dirty music hall. The crowd was mostly rough grunge dudes, goths, or hipsters. The place was 95 degrees and reeked of weed and BO. I’m not a huge fan of the band (they can write some decent rock songs) but there was a moment in that show that stayed with me. Between songs, while the crowd was going crazy and yelling, the lead singer started asking the crowd questions.
“Let me ask you guys, how many of you out there like to do drugs!?” The sweaty crowd went crazy.
“Yeah? You guys like to smoke weed, maybe smoke other stuff, maybe inject stuff sometimes?” The crowd kept cheering.
“Well how many of you have close friends who do a lot of drugs?” The crowd was laughing and yelling.
“OK. Let me ask you this, how many of you have had a friend or family member who’s life was ruined by drugs?”
The crowd became noticeably quieter, it was not a question they were expecting. He began talking much softer and slower now.
“How many of you have had someone close to you die because drugs ruined their life?” The cheering stopped.
“One of our best friends died two nights ago from a drug overdose. We all knew he had a problem but didn’t have the guts to talk to him. Now he’s gone forever.” He stopped for a second to make sure his words sank in. “I am not perfect, I have addictions of my own. But let me tell you guys, drugs don’t just hurt the user, they hurt all the people around them too. Please don’t ruin other people’s lives, and don’t let your friends ruin yours.”
The moment was indescribable. It sent chills up my spine. I had a heavy heart; I felt ashamed and I don’t even do drugs! The crowd stood in uncomfortable stunned silence. Most people stared straight ahead or down at their feet, scared to make eye contact with their friends. It was silent for 20 seconds or so until the band went into their next song. I remember driving home that night, thinking about his words. He knew exactly what was going to happen. He took advantage of his status to let others know what he believes in.
It made me wonder, what I would stand up for if I had the influence that he has? Even though most of us don’t have that kind of influence, almost everyone has a little. What do we use it for?
