Pop Culture Tao - Cool Change

If there's one thing in my life that's missing
It's the time that I spend alone
Sailing on the cool and bright clear water
Lots of those friendly people
And they're showing me ways to go
And I never want to lose their inspiration
Time for a cool change
I know that it's time for a cool change
And now that my life is so prearranged
I know that it's time for a cool change

Well, I was born in the sign of water
And it's there that I feel my best
The albatross and the whales they are my brothers
It's kind of a special feeling
When you're out on the sea alone
Staring at the full moon, like a lover.
~ from Cool Change by the Little River Band ~

I can't believe that it's been over one year since I added a post to this ongoing series! I was listening to some tunes on the radio the other day and, when I heard Cool Change for the first time in a long time, I knew I had to write this post.

We humans are social creatures; we need other people in order to live fulfilling lives. It has been shown repeatedly that one of the best methods to drive someone insane is to be place them in solitary confinement. Without the connection with other beings, the mind slowly unwinds and NOT in a good way.

But while we need human interaction, we concurrently are solitary creatures too. We each must find our own path in life. As the lyric above states, other people can inspire us, but the decision of which way to go falls squarely on ourselves.

When I hear this song, it makes me think of Taoist principles and meditation. Utilizing the imagery of water, it stresses the interconnection of all things. And it says to me that, regardless of all the hubbub in our lives, we need quiet time alone to make sense of it.

This song also makes me think of Scott (Bradley), my friend who spends a lot of time "out on the sea alone, staring at the full moon like a lover."

To see what other aspects of "pop culture" I've written about, go here.