By Ken Johnson

Some of you are familiar with the story “The Life of Walter Mitty.” Walter Mitty had many great adventures in which he won the game, the war, or the award, all in his mind. In real life, he was a meek man dominated by life. I think we all have Walter Mitty moments. I often imagined myself a singer and songwriter, but I never liked the sound of my own voice. Five years ago, I joined our SGI Chorus and learned much about performing. 

But I still had this fear to overcome. I’ve always had whole original songs running through my mind, but never dared to sing them or write them down. Two years, I said I would write a song called “Fire Me Up”. The whole tune just appeared in my head and would not go away. People asked, “Where is that song?” The answer was simple: fear. Fear of standing up, fear of rejection, and fear of success. 

Issues that I had been avoiding kept recurring, I chanted and chanted. I realized the song and its struggle to be born was my life, so at my district meeting, I started to sing, and the song began to live. And I heard my voice as beautiful, as rich as I had imagined. I was so startled by this that I could not get through the song. I was strengthened in that I not only wrote the song down, but also wrote another piece. At the next men’s division meeting, I performed both songs.

Here is the first one:

__________________

FIRE ME UP

Oh a-wake up, a-wake up, ah--
When I get up in the morning 
To greet a new day a dawning
I joyfully open the doors
To my life and I pray

To fire me up
With the light of compassion
Fire me up with courageous action
Fire me up with wisdom’s vision
So I may bring joy 
to everyone

When I get home in the evening
To reflect on today’s meaning
I joyfully open the doors
To my life and I chant

To fire me up
With the light of compassion
Fire me up with courageous action
Fire me up with the vision of wisdom
So I may tap the power within 
for everyone

I know you say
Look at this world we’re in
All the sorrow and pain 
today
How can we be smilin’

We can get on a ship
To take us across a sea of trouble
This is how we’ll go
On nam myo ho renge kyo

Refrain:

Oh ,oh, oh, oh
Fire me up (solo)
With the light of compassion (chorus)
Fire me up (solo)
With courageous action (solo)
Fire me up (chorus)
With wisdom’s vision (solo)
Fire me up, fire me up
Fire me up (chorus)
To strengthen my faith (solo)
Fire me up (chorus)
To achieve all my hopes and dreams (solo)
Fire me up (chorus)
To bring this joy to everyone 
Fire me up, fire me up
To fire me up (chorus)
With the light of compassion (solo)
Fire me up (chorus)
with courageous action (solo)
Fire me up (chorus)
With wisdom’s vision (solo)
Fire me up, fire me up (chorus)

Our chorus director Mollene heard the song and wants the chorus to perform it. And I've got other songs in my head.