I Was Here

I Was Here

I’m musically emotional. I’m not even sure if that’s the right description, but it means I’m easily moved by songs and lyrics. You know I have a theme song! If I have an ability to song and dance like musical performers, well, I would be on a stage. But I don’t, so here I am, writing about song and dance.

It’s been a while since I was touched by a song. I haven’t been to any new musical for years, and in fact, I haven’t had any space in my mind to really enjoy songs. To avoid noise pollution coming from the busy streets of Jogja, I put on my earphone and played an album I wanted to listen for a while: “Coming Home“ by Kristin Chenoweth.

Coming Home is a live album by Kristin Chenoweth from her concert in her hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. She featured songs from her career and songs she enjoyed since her childhood. It includes “Popular” and “For Good” from the musical Wicked, a song from the Phantom of the Opera, and a few songs from her previous albums. She also featured a local high school singer and Broken Arrow High School choir. She’s real proud of her home town.

I remember reading her memoir “A Little Bit Wicked: Life, Love, and Faith in Stages” after fascinated by her Wicked performance. She’s one extraordinary women with a great heart and vision. How can this tiny woman has this much energy and power, I don’t know.

The last song of the album was “I Was Here”. She said “I couldn’t think of a better message and a better way to end”, and she was right. It touches a very deep inside of my soul, soothes all of our desires to be someone, and do something that matters, more than just pass through this life.

How many times I thought
‘I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better
With the time I was given
I wanna try touch a few hearts in this life
Leave nothing less than something that says I was here’

You will notice me
I’ll be leaving my mark
Like initials carved in an old oak tree
Just wait and see

Maybe I’ll write like Twain wrote
Maybe I’ll paint like Van Gogh
Cure the common cold, I don’t know
But I’m ready to start ’cause I know in my heart

I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better
With the time I was given
I wanna try touch a few hearts in this life
Leave nothing less than something that says
I was here

I will prove you wrong
If you think I’m all talk, you’re in for a shock
Cause this dream’s too strong
And before too long

Maybe I’ll compose symphonies
Maybe I’ll fight for world peace
Cause I know it’s my destiny
To leave more than a trace of myself in this place

I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better
With the time I was given
I wanna try to do more than just pass through this life
And leave nothing less than something that says
I was here

I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
(I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear)

I wanna do something that matters
Say something different
Something that sets the whole world on its ear
I wanna do something better
With the time I was given
I wanna try to do more than just pass through this life
And leave nothing less than something that says
I was here
You were here
We were here

I want to do more than just pass through this life, and leave nothing less than something that says I was here. I’m trying every day, stepping one foot in front of another. At the end, hope this is something that matters, touching a few hearts in this life.