A Lot of Things Different

by Brian Coll – Opinions and Thoughts

March/April/May Something

There is a song by Kenny Chesney called A Lot of Things Different, at least I think that is the official title….It’s a song I have heard so many times I’ve lost count. Sometimes it hits me at different times… theres a line about her wanting to paint the bedroom in blues and greens and he wouldn’t let her. My dad and I laugh about that as we work in our frame shop from time to time. A customer might pick out a bright color and while it might not be our first choice, we have to step back and realize this piece might be something they want to pop off the wall… so we go with it. 9 times out of 10 it isn’t as bad as we think it might be, every once in awhile the customer maybe could have picked something a little different, maybe more neutral or something…. Anyway, back to the song and why I’m talking about it right now….

When I think back to March something.. you know when this started and school called saying pick up your child and don’t bring them back tomorrow…. well, that day as we said our goodbyes to familiar faces at school, maybe my daughter would have liked to have hugged her teacher. Maybe we would have exchanged numbers with her friends that day. Me personally, I would have hugged my mom a little longer ( I had no idea we wouldn’t get to see each other up close for about 2 months now.) I definitely would have had the kids have one last dinner with my family or my wife’s parents. My wife and I, we would have stayed out a little longer that last night we got out. I know I would have had one last fire pit night with friends. I would have hugged a few people a little more tight…. I would have stopped over a friends house and just sat on their stoop for hours on end.

I know, this isn’t the end of the world, I know the sun is going to come up tomorrow. I hope our small businesses can rebound from this.

You want to know some good things… The community has really stepped up. Just yesterday, I got a call to meet an old friend outside… he handed me an envelope. He told me it was his stimulus check money, the government wanted to help people with that money and he thought, what better place to help people than buying food for people at the Colonial Neighborhood Council. People are making masks for each other, mostly at no charge. People are helping our older community members by running errands for them and going to the grocery stores and such. I love our community.

Here are the lyrics to that Kenny Chesney song….. see if it hits you. I know the context is different, but when things get back to normal, maybe take a deep breath and think about whatever decision you are about to make, whatever petty fight you’re going to get into… is it worth it, or would you have done things a little more different?

I’d spent a lot more time in the pouring rain covering my head
And I’d stood up to that bully when he pushed and called me names
I was to afraid
And I’d gone on and saw Elvis that night he came to town
Mama said I couldn’t
I’d went skinny dippin’ with Jenny Carson that time she dared me to
I didn’t
Oooh I, I’d done a lot of things different

I wish I woulda spent more time with my dad when he was alive
Now I don’t have the chance
I wish I would’ve told my brother how much I loved him before he went off to war
But I just shook his hand
I wish I’d gone to church on Sunday morning when my grandma begged me to
But I was afraid to go
I wish I’d woulda listened when they said “boy your gunna wish you hadn’t”
But I wouldn’t
Oooh I, I’d don’t a lot of things different

People say they wouldn’t change a thing
Even if they could
Oooh but I would

There was this red dress she wanted one time so bad she could taste it
I should’ve bought it
But I didn’t
She wanted to paint our bedroom yellow trimed in blue’s and green’s
But I wouldn’t let her
It wouldn’t have hurt nothin’
She loved to be held and kisses and touched
But I didn’t do it
Not nearly enough
And if I’d known that dance was gunna be our last dance
I’d asked that band to play
On and on
Ooon and ooon
Oooh I, I’d done a lot of things different

People say they wouldn’t change a thing
Even if they could
Oooh but I would
Ooooh oooh
Oooh I, I’d done a lot of things different
Oooh I, I’d done a lot of things
I think we’d all do a lot of things different