Growing up in New Jersey and in a family that worships Bruce Springsteen, I have heard every song and learned every fact there is to know about The Boss. Not only has Bruce given me songs to listen to when I'm feeling homesick, but he has also taught me many important life lessons.
1. Worrying and over-thinking things doesn't make any situation better.
It's so easy to feel like the world is crashing down around you when you're stressed. However, no matter how bad things get, you're never going to make things better if you're sitting around moping.
2. There's never a bad time to dance.
I am notoriously a bad dancer, but sometimes you need to just let loose and have a dance party.
3. There's nothing wrong with hometown pride...
We've all desperately wanted to escape our hometown for something better, yet, when it comes down to it, our hometown will always be where home truly is.
4. ...or state pride.
I genuinely feel bad for people who don't feel strongly about their state because I know few people (besides Bruce Springsteen) who love New Jersey as much as I do.
5. Jersey girls just simply do it better.
"'Cause nothing matters in the whole wide world when you're in love with a Jersey girl."
6. Age is just a number.
If Bruce Springsteen can still put on a three and a half hour show at 66 years old, there's no reason why I should be struggling to get up for my 9 a.m. at 19 years old.
7. Laugh at yourself.
Who knows, you could wind up impersonating yourself with Jimmy Fallon.
8. Sometimes your friends are the people you wouldn't expect.
Bruce and Clarence were not a pairing you would expect, but these two have been my friendship goals since I was 3 years old and always will be.
9. We all find ourselves talking about our "Glory Days."
Even I get nostalgic talking about high school and sometimes it's easier to just accept that we'll never get those years back instead of trying to relive them.
10. People will leave your life and that's OK.
Bruce is familiar with people leaving his life (i.e. "Downbound Train" and "Bobby Jean"), but we move on and welcome people into our lives who are so much better than the ones who left.
11. Sometimes the best lessons we learn are not the ones we learn in school.
"We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school."
