Going Crazy
Tim James
tim james books (2024)
ISBN: 979-8989081509
Reviewed by Dawn Colclasure for Reader Views (06/2024)
Tim James is not a name many people know, yet such is the plight of the songwriter. The songwriter is the person in the background helping along a popular singer’s inspiration with their own inspiration. But when he set out at a young age to create a life for himself beyond the country life he was raised in, he never knew that one day his calling would turn out to be as a songwriter. In “Going Crazy (Left Foot, Right Foot, Breathe),” Tim James shares how he set out to find himself, find his purpose in life, and hopefully find love. He faces a lot of roadblocks to get there, but he keeps getting back up and he keeps going.
While he shares some stories about how he got into fights with people, I liked how he would be cool with some of those people later and laugh it off. However, it does not always go this way. That one moment as a teenager in which something snapped in him, and he allowed himself to respond to bullying with violence, set him on a bad course where this was often his default reaction when it came to bullies.
At one point, his short fuse gets him into serious trouble. So serious, in fact, that he has to reach out to family for help. Here was a guy determined to eke out a life for himself on his own, but sometimes we need to reach out to others for help.
I have learned that a man better get used to the taste of humble pie, because it gets served to you throughout your life… ( page 52)
There are many times in the book where he asks, “Was I going crazy?” And even at one point, when he decides to return to Los Angeles after recovering at home in Tennessee from a gang attack, his mother asks, “Are you insane?” Well, some people may think that certain things he did were “insane,” but I did not see them that way. As a matter of fact, I admired his courage, persistence, and ambition. These are good qualities for anyone to have, but for someone constantly facing setbacks, it’s even more admirable that they press on. And that’s exactly what the author did. Perhaps it was his faith in God that kept him going no matter what happened, as he does share his strong faith.
During the second time that he lived in LA, he just jumped from one thing to another while working a 9-to-5 job. But then he has that “a-ha” moment after witnessing how other people in LA just weren’t into that sort of thing. They believed in chasing their dreams, just like his friend the struggling screenwriter who finally breaks in as a playwright. And when that moment hits him, he realizes, “This is what I must do with my life!”
So many guys were in the entertainment business and some of them did say to chase the dream because life is too short not to. We have to do what we love and love what we do. I loved music. (page 82)
From that point on, everything changes. He knows what he MUST do and goes after it!
To those who think you’re going crazy… we all have a little bit of crazy. Learn to use your crazy to your advantage. (page 195)
I’ll admit, I wondered why James included his laments about the problems he was having in his marriage and how he didn’t seem to know what love was anymore. But then I realized; this guy is a country man. He writes country music. Music with soul. Lamenting about problems with love and about marriage issues is all a part of the country music scene, so it’s only natural that this is in his book. And that whole last chapter can be something like a song of survival. That’s how I saw it, anyway. If there’s anyone better suited to write such a song, it is this guy! Because he IS a survivor.
Overall, this book was an inspiring memoir and I enjoyed reading it. I especially enjoyed reading about his career as a songwriter and how hard he worked to keep that career afloat. In that sort of business, your one big hit will stop being a hit at some point. This was an important lesson to learn, and it was what made him realize he had to keep putting in the time and effort as a professional songwriter to remain in good standing as one.
“Going Crazy” is an inspirational memoir of finding your mission in life and staying true to your roots. It’s about keeping faith and remaining focused no matter what life throws at you. A compelling and captivating read, Tim James’ “Going Crazy” just may inspire others to go after their dreams despite the negativity of others.
And despite what he writes at the end, he should know that he will survive. He’s a country boy! As Hank Williams Jr. once sang, A country boy can survive.
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