Some people have asked me about the story behind "Angel James" – the first song I wrote. So, okay, here it is:
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In July of 2006 we had gone to ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Nashville so I could sing at the "18 and Under Chick Singer Night" at 3rd and Lindsley. My Momma, my friend John and I had gone up earlier in the day and I had a great time at the show. I actually made a great new music contact at the show and we left in a great mood. We stopped at the Pizza Hut/Taco Bell close to the Cool Spring Galleria to get my breadsticks (I always have to have breadsticks) and then headed south on I-65. My Momma was driving and John and I had just finished our breadsticks and I was looking in my purse for something – and the next thing I felt was something crashing into the front of the car and my Momma screamed something. Glass flew back onto us and then there was a lot of air in the car. My Momma was yelling something and I was trying to figure out what was going on. Then I heard what she was saying "I just hit a man in the road!"
We found out later that his name was James (I’m keeping his last name private) and that he was 84 years old and had dementia. After the investigation we were moved into a parking lot close by and there met his family. We didn’t even know they were his family at first. They walked up to us and hugged my Momma and said "We are so glad you are not hurt." Then one of them said "That was our Dad." We were completely blown away by their compassion for us in their own terrible time of need. I know what it feels like to lose a Dad. Evidently Mr. James had gotten lost and was trying to find his way home. One of the investigators told us that they thought he had actually been hit by another car first and was thrown in front of us – but the other car didn’t stop.
It was very hard to deal with for my Mom but we have faith that God allows things to happen for a reason and that it was the appointed time for Mr. James to go – but it wasn’t for us. And, that maybe God used Mr. James’ appointment time to stop us and keep us from something that would have harmed us further down the road. That inspired me to write a song. In the song, I had Mr. James trying to stop me to tell me that a bridge was out further down the road – making him one of my guardian angels.
Of course that song will never do justice to really paying a tribute to the life of Mr. James – but it does help me to have faith that one day I hope to see him and say "thanks". I feel like maybe my Dad probably met him at the gates and told him already.