But, tour actually is what has saved me.

I should have known that once the M-bomb was dropped on Warped Roadies, everyone and their mother would start contacting me.

Two weeks ago, on Warped Roadies, Danny Bateman revealed what he was before joining Warped Tour….. a Mormon missionary.  Danny served three months of his mission before returning home and almost immediately going out on Warped Tour.  You can watch the full episode here.  My first thought was, “dang, there goes my title of only Mormon in the music industry”.  My second thought was, “I hope this isn’t the episode my visiting teacher watches.”

I’m not Molly Mormon by any means.  I have tattoos and piercings.  I’d vote for Obama again if I could.  The thought of trading in my career (at this point in my life) for a spouse and little ones makes me want to vomit.  And let’s honest, I’d rather spend my Sunday morning feeding and talking about life/grace/rainbows to my homeless friends in Bienville Square instead of sitting in sacrament meeting.  And if we’re being completely honest, often times I do…. but that’s a completely different blog for another day.

BUT.

I do believe in the gospel.  And because of that, I live my life a certain way.  On tour and off tour. 

These next few statements will probably solidify me never being invited to the MTC (and I’m okay with that).  We’re being honest, right?  Something Danny said really resonated with me: It was a hard transition for me but tour actually is what has saved me.  I spent a lot of time hating myself.  Mostly because of things that “the church” told me.  Most of you know my struggles with depression, addiction, etc.  (By the way, celebrating three years clean in nine days, woot woot!)  It was until I attended Warped Tour for the first time that I finally believed in anything.  I was thirteen years old.  Almost eleven years later, here I am living the dream with Band Aid Records and Open Our Eyes. 

This is the good life.