Hiding my head in the sand? No!

There are so many times when I’ve wanted to write about this topic. However, after hearing a song near and dear to my heart, I felt ready to share it with the world.

Let’s begin back in the 1970’s when Wind and Wuthering, the eighth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis, was released on December 17, 1976. It was their last studio album to feature guitarist Steve Hackett. While the entire album appealed to me in multiple ways, Blood on the Rooftops, stole my heart with it luscious melody, heart-rendering acoustic guitar chords and words that would be befitting of any era throughout mankind’s treacherous history.

Dark and grey, an English film, the Wednesday Play
We always watch the Queen on Christmas Day
Won’t you stay?

Though your eyes see shipwrecked sailors you’re still dry
The outlook’s fine though Wales might have some rain
Saved again

Let’s skip the news boy, I’ll make some tea
The Arabs and the Jews boy, too much for me
They get me confused boy, puts me off to sleep
And the thing I hate, oh Lord
Is staying up late, to watch some debate on some nation’s fate

Hypnotized by Batman, Tarzan, still surprised
You’ve won the West in time to be our guest
Name your prize

Drop of wine, glass of beer dear what’s the time?
The grime on the Tyne is mine, all mine, all mine
Five past nine

Blood on the rooftops, Venice in the Spring
Streets of San Francisco, word from Peking
The trouble was started by a young Errol Flynn
Better in my day, oh Lord
For when we got bored we’d have a World War, happy but poor
So let’s skip the news boy, I’ll go make that tea
Blood on the rooftops, too much for me
When old Mother Goose stops and they’re out for twenty-three
Then the rain at Lords stopped play
Seems Helen of Troy has found a new face again

The song speaks of gray days of war and bad news. What else is new? Well, the Arabs and the Jews are still at it. Not to mention a multitude of other nations, pursuing their own selfish interests. Ah, no surprise. The world continues to turn, while we as a species seems to be stuck in time, devolving. Evil and wars have always existed. Kingdoms and countries fight for various reasons: greed, jealousy, and misunderstanding. Same ol’, same ol. Have we learned anything from the past? Hardly. I want what you have. Simple reciprocity forces the repetition. A son of a son of a son, wanting revenge for someone who committed crimes against his country, eight generations prior. It appears that humans can never let anything go. They can’t move on, putting the past behind them, learning from the mistakes of their forefathers. Sad and atrocious.

However, there comes a point in time when we can no longer let TV, radio, newspapers and social media permeate our days and nights. In order to maintain our sanity in a world where we are bombarded 24/7, it’s okay to turn it off and continue to make our way through our own days. It’s okay to seek your own peace of mind. To focus on what’s good. On what’s best for our health, and those around us.

I’m not saying to stick your head in the sand, nonetheless, you have to find a happy medium. To be aware, but not to be consumed. To find sanctuary, while still remaining knowledgeable. You could call it escaping, and that’s okay. The human mind was never made to cope with the world of 2025, where every day we are force fed with negativity and lies, and made to hate our brothers, because turmoil makes great bedfellows for politicians.

If you want to make a difference, hell that’s great, but the only way is to be an active participant. Write to your representatives, take part in local government. Be a positive force of nature. However, bitching to your friends, staying up late lamenting, or raging on social media is not going to solve any problems of the world. To the contrary, it only creates more controversy, and leads to personal unhappiness, ulcers, disgruntled friendships, and heart attacks.

So let’s skip the news boy, I’ll make some tea
The Arabs and the Jews boy, too much for me
They get me confused boy, puts me off to sleep
And the thing I hate, oh Lord
Is staying up late, to watch some debate on some nation’s fate…