Up for Air

"The Blues"
By Switchfoot

Is this the New Year or just another night?
Is this the new fear or just another fright?
Is this the new tear or just another desperation?

Is this the finger or just another fist?
Is this the kingdom or just a hit n' miss?
A misdirection, most in all this desperation

Is this what they call freedom?
Is this what you call pain?
Is this what they call discontented fame?

It'll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in

I'm singing this one like a broken piece of glass
From broken arms an' broken noses in the back
Is this the New Year or just another desperation?

You're pushing till you're shoving
You bend until you break
Till you stand on the broken fields where our fathers lay

It'll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in

There's nothing here worth saving,
Is no one here at all?
Is there any net left that could break our fall?

It'll be a day like this one
When the sky falls down and the hungry and poor and deserted are found
Are you discontented? Have you been pushing hard?
Have you been throwing down this broken house of cards?

It'll be a day like this one
When the world caves in
When the world caves in
When the world caves in

Is there nothing left now?
Nothing left to sing
Are there any left who hasn't kiss the enemy?
Is this the New Year or just another desperation?

Does justice never find you? Do the wicked never lose?
Is there any honest song to sing besides these blues?

And nothing is okay
Till the world caves in



I won't lie to you - I'm still pretty shaken up from this weekend. I've developed an unconscious habit of rubbing the callouses on my fingertips. I think I can still feel everything that I've touched.

I'm going to go ahead and get some reader involvement here. I know that several of my friends read this, so if you are a friend of mine and you have a picture of me and you together, or just a picture of you, then send it to me and I will make it my desktop background for the day. I am already putting several of you on my background picture cycle and it really brightens my day. So send pictures to joseph.halbert@gmail.com. Send me some emails, too, because every time I have internet access I save all your emails in a word document and then take some time every night to write back. I really like doing it and it makes me feel connected to everyone back home.

I've added a new section on this page called "Recommended Reading." I recommend you read these books.

Just in case anyone was wondering, I've been listening to the band Switchfoot every day. Particularly, the album Nothing is Sound. It seems to fit where I am in my life perfectly. Give it a listen.

I'm going to a region called Gulu on Friday. There are several IDP (Internally Displaced Person) camps up there, so I'm going to spend some time seeing whatever it is I need to see.

This might be it for the week, so I hope to hear from you and I'll be sure to post something of substance soon.

Cheers,
Joseph