I’m Still Standing
To exist is political. Mike looks back on his 3-year quest with both triumph and remorse, performing a cappella the Elton John smash hit "I'm Still Standing."
You could never know what it's like.
Your blood like winter freezes just like ice,
And there's a cold lonely light that shines from you;
You'll wind up like the wreck you hide behind that mask you use
And did you think this fool could never win?
Well, look at me, I'm coming back again!
I got a taste of love in a simple way,
And if you need to know while I'm still standing, you just fade away…
Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did,
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.
I'm still standing after all this time,
Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind.
I'm still standing…
I'm still standing.
Once I never could have hoped to win,
You're starting down the road leaving me again.
The threats you made were meant to cut me down,
And if our love was just a circus, you'd be a clown by now.
You know, I'm still standing better than I ever did,
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.
I'm still standing after all this time,
Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind.
I'm still standing…
I'm still standing.
Don't you know that I'm still standing better than I ever did!
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.
I'm still standing after all this time,
Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind.
I'm still standing,
I'm still standing…
I'm still standing,
I'm still standing…
I'm still standing,
I'm still standing…
I'm still standing,
I'm still standing.
Coming to you live in Columbus from The Ohio State University on this beautiful Wednesday morning, 24 December 2025… take 3 of “I’m Still Standing,” otherwise known as “Where’s My Overtime???”
In its original version, Sir Elton John manages to have this song drag on… because after all, that bitch is still standing even now (and he’s at least 40 years older than me!) Props to Sir Elton John for the reminder that if you are standing today and watching this, you’re blessed. Many people in my generation aren’t.
If you’re out there complaining because you’re alone on Christmas or feeling like nobody is there for you, remember that you are able to stand up for yourself. To use the RuPaul cliché: you have to love yourself before you can love somebody else. We live in the world we deserve, and when we don’t stand up against injustice, we basically accept it.
To quote the Revered Martin Luther King Jr. —"Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere." As Americans, remember you have the privilege of living in the freest, most prosperous nation on Earth for now. With that privilege comes the responsibility to reject the things that might burn this country down. I see examples on television of leadership trying their damnest to ensure some of us aren't standing the next day.
I don’t want to get too melodramatic; Lord knows I’ve done that enough… Nonetheless, Merry Christmas.
Christmas is about celebrating joy, love, and Jesus if you believe in that— but mostly about caring for each other. And yes, it's about Mariah Carey songs, too. I don't know how I've made it 30 years without hating that song, but it convinces me there are still good things in this world that last!
But those good things only last because we make them last. It is our responsibility as good, God-fearing Christians to ensure this world is still around for our children. To quote my high school band director from the Big Red Band: "Don't let this die."
It is up to us not to let this nation die. If you turn on the news, you see "dumpster fires" everywhere. But for every dumpster fire on the news, there are 99 little joys occurring all around you in your neighborhood that you haven't noticed yet. Don't get sucked into the chaos. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat, "libtard," or "fascist," I hope we can remember we are fellow Americans. Be kind to each other. It is the unspoken, everyday joys that define us, not the dumpster fires.
Think of it like a marathon. I’m not a runner, but the lesson of a marathon is keeping your eyes on the prize. Even if you are exhausted after mile one—maybe you even snuck a Twinkie into your crotch—you have to have the audacity to see yourself crossing mile 26. You won't remember the pain of the first mile when you are the only one left standing at the end.
I'm still standing here somehow after a three-year sabbatical on tour. You can check my past 30 videos for context on that. I'll leave you with one last quote to reflect on as you see your loved ones: "To exist is political."
Be grateful you’re still standing. I’m grateful I finished that Elton John song without completely ruining it. Coming at you live from Columbus, Ohio, at the Thompson Library. This is Mike George. Merry Christmas to friends, family, enemies, and lovers. Be good to each other. Indulge in some ice cream or that Mariah Carey CD. Just don’t forget to sweep away the coal from under the tree before the kids wake up. Be good, be kind, and rewind. I love you guys.
