I lied--that was not my thesis song.

Four days ago, I sang in Light Thursdays. And before our set, we were told to share our take on the song we'd sing. Lop was to intro Lost in Space; Nikki was to start Stuck in a Moment; and I was to share my personal story on Dare you to move.

It's not that I came unprepared. I knew about the value of the song to me even before our set in Light. I knew the story before rehearsals, and even before the list of songs were emailed to me.

So when Brother Didoy nodded his head to urge me to start my little story about the song, I smiled, held the mic tight and went on with...

"Back when I was still in college..."

Don't get me wrong. This was one of the songs that lifted me up too. But this was just one of the many songs that I had. I remember I almost failed my defense, if not for the chance that was given to me by my adviser. And that break before I had my make-or-break defense, I was surrounded by all the things and people that inspired me to move up. But still, it wasn't my thesis song.

My thesis song was Miley Cyrus' The Climb.

"I can almost see it

That dream I am dreaming

But there's a voice inside my head saying

"You'll never reach it"

Every step I'm taking

Every move I make feels

Lost with no direction

My faith is shaking"

OrCom people knew that. Almost everyone of us had our thesis songs. Jona with Party in the USA (People: Kamusta na thesis mo? Jona: Ayun. Partying in the USA). Noemi with Defying Gravity. And a lot more.

And so we go back to this was not my thesis song.

Dare you to move is not as 'weightful' as Desert Song or If you want me to.
But it means just as much.

Dare you to move is not 'Go on, you can do it.'
Dare you to move is when you know you can move, but you're choosing not to move. With an unreasonable amount of faith, you decide to hold on to something not worth fighting for.

"Everybody's watching you now

Everybody waits for you now

What happens next

I dare you to move

Like today never happened

Today never happened before

Maybe redemption has stories to tell

Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell

Where can you run to escape from yourself?"

"Everybody's watching you now"
Because everybody wants you to make it.
And you continue holding on to pencils and pastels and that wonderful image that you create around you, even when you know that there's a better painting at the other side of the road.

In Dare you to move, you are aware of your choices. But you don't take it, you don't make it.
You are perfectly capable of doing it. And that's why you are dared to do it.
You don't dare the deaf to hear. 
You dare someone who can but won't.

--
And if we're playing Truth or Dare, I obviously failed in truth, as I did not narrate my real story.
And if I don't move on the dare, that's failing two out of two in the game.

xo,
Jel