So, I was at the gym last night, and as I was running a Black Eyed Peas song (Where is the Love?) came on my MP3 player. I hadn’t heard it in a while (my player’s on random for running purposes) and there was a section of lyrics that really expressed the way I’m feeling about our world… well, my country for the most part. I thought I would share them with you.

I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I’m gettin’ older, y’all, people get colder
Most of us only care about money makin’
Selfishness got us followin’ our own direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids act like what they see in the cinema
Yo’, whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
That’s the reason why sometimes I’m feelin’ down
There’s no wonder why sometimes I’m feelin’ under
Gotta keep my faith alive to lovers bound

If you aren’t familiar with this song, or you just want to listen to it (I will admit, the lyrics are better heard than read), go here.

I’m really left just wondering how to change a movement in society that seems so different and contradictory to how I feel life should be. I guess the positive thing is that I’m not alone; if I was there wouldn’t be songs like this that I could relate to.

Somewhere I’ve heard an expression… I can’t remember it exactly, but it basically says that individual people are smart; it’s only in large numbers that we’re stupid. I agree with that. As an individual, I think many of us see the same problems and issues and wish something would change. But when you look at us as a whole… as a society, we create the problems and issues everyday. What we think on our own doesn’t manifest itself in society as a whole. I believe it’s a problem of disconnection between us all. As the song says, we’re all on this trip of selfishness, going our own way. If you think about it, we’re really all trying to go the same way. We all want the same thing: happiness.

The Dali Lama talks about having compassion for others regardless of what they might have done in their life to you or to others. He says the key to finding compassion like that is to break things down to the most essential element- that we are all human beings. I hope that just as “going green” has taken hold, we will someday take hold of living with compassion, love and respect for each other.

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