Pat Benatar and the Meaning of Life

While driving home the other night with the windows wide open and a fresh, warm breeze riffling my daring new pixie-cut (never could stand having my long hair whip around my face), I was singing along with the radio, reveling in the glorious weather when an oldy-but-goody favorite came on - Pat Benatar's We Belong:

Many times I tried to tell you
Many times I cried alone
Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone
Don't want to leave you really
I've invested too much time to give you up that easy
To the doubts that complicate your mind

(Bigger because it's louder)
We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder 
We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under 
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better 
We belong, we belong, we belong together...

Anyone who knows me knows I have pretty powerful pipes, though most of the time I use them for belting out hymns or show tunes. The rocker side of me has lain dormant for quite a few years now. But, thanks to mishearing the lyrics and replacing the word thunder with Father, I have always sung this jam more like a hymn anyhow. And on this particular evening it really struck home. 

Maybe it's a sign of weakness when I don't know what to say
Maybe I just wouldn't know what to do with my strength anyway...

I have been struggling - as many have - with how disjointed the world has become of late, how we have divided ourselves into factions: left against right, black against white, women against men, us against them - and feeling helpless to make it better. 

Have we become a habit? Do we distort the facts?
Now there's no looking forward
Now there's no turning back...

Sound familiar? How did we get caught up in this maelstrom of offence giving-and-taking, so many nasty barbs swirling out of control, wounding everyone whether they are taking part or not? How do we get past this vortex of doom into a better place?

By individually realizing that it isn't all about me, or you - but about us.

We belong to the light, we belong to the thunder 
We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under 
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better 
We belong, we belong, we belong together...

We're in it together on this cosmic speck, and none of us is getting off alive, so we better learn how to get along. In fact, that could be the whole reason we're here.

As just one person, what can I do? Well, for starters, I can use my voice to sing instead of rant. When life fails me, I can still show mercy, kindness and respect. I can look for the good in everyone and reach out in love, remembering that it isn't all about me, my beliefs, or what I want, but about all of us belonging to each other. For the sake of my brand new grand-nephew. and in memory of the far too many souls who have given up on this world because living in it was just too painful, I can do my best to put others first. I can belong to the light in spite of the darkness.

Close your eyes and try to sleep now
Close your eyes and try to dream
Clear your mind and do your best to try and wash the palette clean...

and how I sing the rest is -

We can't begin to know it, how much you really care
I hear your voice inside me, I see your face everywhere
And I say -

We belong to the light, we belong to the Father
We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under 
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better 
We belong, we belong, we belong together.
We belong to the light, we belong to the Father
We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under 
Whatever we deny or embrace for worse or for better 
We belong, we belong, we belong together

*Songwriters: Daniel Anthony Navarro / David Eric Lowen