As a teenager, Michael W. Smith pissed me off. I didn’t stay pissed. I was far too much of a fan to hold a grudge. If my desire to become the Michael Jackson of Christian music didn’t pan out, I would have totally settled for becoming the Michael W. Smith of Christian music. But when I read in a magazine interview with Michael that some of his greatest musical influences were Billy Joel and Elton John, I became horrified.

They’re not Christians or morally sound people, I thought. Why in the world would Michael allow people like Billy and Elton to influence his music?

It occurred to me that Michael would have mentioned people like Bill Gaither or Dino as influences, you know, Christian people known for their ability to play the piano and write Christian songs. Or I thought that perhaps he could have mentioned people like Mozart or Beethoven or Elvis, artists who’d been dead long enough that their great talent had redeemed them of their sins.

At the very least, he could have included King David in the list.

I was offended because, at the time, I believed that Christian people shouldn’t be influenced by “secular” people. Or that, if they had any decency at all, they’d keep their uncouth influences to themselves, lest they lead some poor kid (like me, for instance!) astray.

Thankfully, I grew up. Because this post wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t grown up. And that would have been sad, because I may never have read anything by David Sedaris.

David is “secular.” Some people would say “very secular.” Or “vile.”

And David would probably agree.

But still, perhaps more than any other person, the works of David Sedaris have affected me as a writer and storyteller.

I can only hope that one day I will tell stories with the same grit, humor, and self-discovery as David.

Here’s the deal: I don’t simply read the books and stories of David Sedaris–I study them. Everywhere I go, I carry at least one of his books with me. I study his sentence structure, descriptions, story development, punch line set-up–I study him. And I’ve learned from him.

His blushing honesty compels me to tell my truth. His use of passive voice and the occasional run-on sentence, though grammatically incorrect (and often frowned upon), has taught me that sometimes mistakes are my friends in storytelling and humor. His sharing of raw detail and his use of crass language have pushed me out of my comfort zones. I’ve also learned from David’s writing that everyday life is a good story.

And I hope I keep learning from him.

I met David last year. And because he’s had so much influence on my writing, I was scared to death. But he was kind, quirky, and rather awkward–everything I would have suspected him to be–and reasons why I left respecting him even more.

Tonight, my wife and I are seeing David at the Ryman. Fifth row. And I can’t wait.

David Sedaris has influenced me.

If that pisses you off, go read Max Lucado. (<-Just kidding.)

(Note to self: David never apologizes–DANG IT.)

🙂