We were talking about the space between us all
And the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion
Never glimpse the truth, then it’s far too late when they pass away
We were talking about the love we all could share
When we find it, to try our best to hold it there with our love
With our love, we could save the world; if they only knew
Try to realize it’s all within yourself; no one else can make you change
And to see you’re really only very small
And life flows on within you and without you.
We were talking about the love that’s gone so cold
And the people who gain the world and lose their soul
They don’t know, they can’t see, are you one of them?
When you’ve seen beyond yourself, then you may find peace of mind is waiting there.
And the time will come when you see we’re all one
And life flows on within you and without you.George Harrison, The Beatles, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”
Are you 57 yet? Do you know what happened in 1967? Can you imagine it? Some of us were there; this song, this album, in a way, was the beginning of everything we’ve come to love. A different sound came from the East: tanpuras, sitars, dilrubas, and tablas. A meditative drone hits its mark inside of you, transporting you to another space. It was a time of exploration, initiation, and change. We were talking about how things could be.
We are, after all, the “Flower Power” generation and of “Make Love not War.” They were the chants of a new age. Even if the chants were detestable to some, they made perfect sense to us. We are 57 years later, yet that year’s spirit has not waned or lost its luster or meaning.
All that is important to us is about love. If we stop to think and listen, we will find that thought beating strongly within our hearts. It beats its message to “Come Together” and “All you need is Love.” We quickly lose that pulse, forgetting the simplicity of it, tangling it up in confusing rhetoric and rigid truths. Oh, how much easier it would be if we could relax and look into the eyes of the world, into each other’s eyes.
For many of us, the spirit has gone cold; love dried up in inconsequential nothingness spoken until we’ve forgotten why we’re here. We hurt each other when we can’t touch the love that is there. And we could save each other just by remembering and with a bit of care.
Look into yourself, sit with eyes closed, or gaze far into the distance. It doesn’t matter, but you must sit where you find yourself. Dream again, for there are still dreams inside you waiting for you to pay attention to them. They might save you from yourself, from your neglect, from your hurt, and even be the spark for something new to come out of you.
Life is not over; it is just beginning. It is here and now; let’s embrace it. Let it allow us to walk with an extra bounce in our step. Let it moisten our eyes and heighten our sight, seeing beyond the horizon and understanding tomorrow. When you know that you are the reason for a life full of possibilities and it is as it should be, then you can embrace a change in you and run after the destiny that was always there waiting for you. You will wonder why you put yourself down and refused to see what was before you. Now, you won’t make the same mistake again.
We were talking about how life could be. We were talking about the love we all could share. We were talking about how the world could change, and we were talking about how we could change. We were talking about children growing up in lands without war, where peace reigned. We were talking about remembering what is between us and never straying far from that love. We were talking about never forgetting who we are and the promise that life holds for us. We were talking.
