Amy Marcle
If you were saddened by the recent passing of county music legend, Toby Keith, trust me, you are not alone. I read the news in the wee hours of the morning after letting my dogs out. I sat there for a moment wondering if the news was correct because I had just earlier in the week read of his recent performances in Las Vegas. Surely, his condition had not worsened so quickly as to cause his death so suddenly. Unfortunately, cancer does not care if you are planning a comeback tour or have other plans. It is a selfish disease that affects not only the one diagnosed. It also affects family and friends. In Toby Keith’s case, it affected the world.
Why do we find ourselves experiencing sadness when a celebrity dies? I mean, we did not know them personally and probably never had even met them. Why is it that we sometimes become overwhelmed with emotions of someone we never knew at all? I cannot speak for everyone, though I feel many my age would agree, we are saddened at the passing of an era in our own lives. Toby Keith’s debut album was released when I was a sophomore in high school. I can remember singing his big hit “Should Have Been A Cowboy” with friends as we rode the strip in our small town. I continued listening to his music though college, through my early days of marriage, and motherhood. I listened to him during my eating disorder and during my recovery. It is only natural that his songs bring back memories, both good and bad. His passing was not just the end of his life, for me it was the end of an era.
Shortly after the news broke of his death, tributes and memories began flooding my social media feeds. As articles and interviews were posted, there were stories shared about his life that many of us already knew. He was a huge supporter of the USO and made many trips overseas to perform for our troops while they were stationed on foreign lands. He recorded several songs telling stories of patriotism, his love of our country, and his despite for anyone who dared bring violence and war to our home front. Some things I did not know however included his adoption of his wife’s daughter early in their marriage. He worked diligently to support our veterans. And, he had a strong faith in God. I want to explore three lessons we can learn from the life of Toby Keith.
NEVER APOLOGIZE FOR WHO YOU ARE
Even though the world is stunned by the passing of Toby Keith, not everyone was a fan. I do not mean that there were people who just did not like his music. During his career, he wrote and sang songs that were sometimes labeled as controversial. “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue” was written after the September 11 terrorist attacks on our soil in the United States. Our country was heartbroken, devastated, and in dire need of confidence that we were indeed going to defeat those who took the lives of our innocent citizens. And boy, did Toby Keith deliver with his patriotic anthem. However, not every citizen of the United States agreed with Toby’s patriotism. He was often labeled as a “redneck”, “racist,” or “too conservative.” However, he did not let this stop him from playing and singing the songs that so many Americans could identify with during that time. If we want to be honest with ourselves, we should all able to support a song that is against violence to our people. Recently, there was a clip of him at a concert proudly stating the following: “Never apologize for being patriotic. Actually, @!*& ‘em.” This quote was in reference to anyone who made Americans feel bad for well, being Americans.
The United States was once a country proud of its beliefs, standards, and people who live in it. I do not have to drive more than thirty minutes now to find protests of American people protesting America itself. While the right to protest is most certainly a protected constitutional right, the mere thought of protesting against your own country, especially when it is as free as the United States, is absurd to me.
I feel we can take this one step further. If you have ever been in recovery, you have been judged. I know you were judged while in the thick of your addiction battle, because we all get judged when we are addicts. There will be people in your life who will never be able to get past the “addicted” you and embrace the “recovered” you. While you should definitely apologize to those you hurt during your addiction, you do not have to apologize to people who only choose to see one side of you. Being in recovery is not something you should apologize for; it is a step you should be grateful to be taking. If people do not support you, you do not need them. Bottom line.
HATERS GONNA HATE
Ok, so this line is from a Tayor Swift song, but as I have read more and more since his passing, Toby Keith received much hate also. Two days after his death, I opened my TikTok page and found videos of people celebrating his death. The creators of these videos viewed his patriotism as racist and bigoted. To make matters stranger, the creators were also white men close to his age, not even people of different races or nationalities. Strange to me.
No matter who you are, I guarantee you have a hater somewhere lurking. It may be a co-worker who hates to see you succeed. It may be someone stalking your Facebook page, rolling their eyes at your every accomplishment. It may even be someone who claims to be your friend to your face. Whoever you are, regardless of what you do, you are going to have people talk about you. My advice? LET THEM PEOPLE TALK.
LET THEM PEOPLE HATE.
In these times, people hate people who love their country, people who love their families, and for sure people who love GOD. I often tell people, as Christians, as Americans, and as parents, we have to stop bowing down to people who mock us for our beliefs and values. We must stop allowing bullies the power to force us to keep our opinions quiet while we cater to evil. If Christians do not stand up for Christ, who will? IF Americans do not stand up for America, who will? If we do not support and encourage our families and our children, who will?
Whether you are celebrating recovery, a job promotion, a renewed faith in God, do not let the hate from others detain you in your efforts.
FAITH MATTERS
Just a short time before his passing, Toby Keith sat down for an interview discussing his cancer diagnosis. He was asked how had dealt with the blow he had been handed. “I lean on my faith.” What a statement! He further added that there was a time during his treatment where he was fine with whatever happened. “ I was fine either way. People without faith don’t have that.” To be in the spotlight both as an entertainer and later as a cancer patient, Toby Keith never waivered from his faith. Are we that strong during the storms of our lives? Can we say that we have enough faith in God to allow His will to be done? Do we trust Him enough to lean on Him?
When people die, comments are often made such as “I hope they did not suffer.” Or “I hope they were comfortable.” My first thoughts are I hope then knew God. And if you are reading this, I hope you know Him too. If you do not, we would love to share our faith with you. As we have seen, tomorrow is not promised to any of us. There is only now.