We’re saving our own lives. (We are?)
This is how it unspooled.
What unspooled?
The mysterious progression of my thoughts. Can you bear with me a bit longer?
OK.
Back to unspooling. The wonderful Harry Bellafonte died. In reading his obituary, I discovered he was actually the guiding light behind the iconic We Are The World music fundraiser in 1985. Holy cow, a 38-year romp back into rock ‘n’ roll history!
(Holy cow? Holy cow? You are SO dating yourself. What does holy cow mean, anyway? Another time…)
Holy cow aside, I felt compelled to view the long-ago music video. What a swell of nostalgia while listening to all those glorious (and let’s be honest, some not-so glorious) voices of that era. (Era? Gosh, even that makes me sound older. Oh, wait, I am!)
Of the song’s many stanzas, 19 to be exact, 3 lines were tugging me away from my avid celebrity-watching on the video. Just-3-simple-lines I’d not heard in 38 years. However, my lips were moving in remembered awareness. Rarely ever do I remember song lyrics. I’m usually the one silently moving her lips during a song, trying to pretend I really know the words (I don’t. Sigh.)
The remembered song lyrics:
“There’s a choice we’re making; We’re saving our own lives. It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.”
What was it about those 3 lines, triggering my none-too-reliable lyrics memory, from 38 years ago?
Great question! Let’s parse that answer. Pretty sure the last line is the true magnet for my attention. “It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me.”
Bet it’s referring to our shared humanity, “you and me.” Yes, admittedly, we’re often dissimilar humans, but we can still consciously choose to make a “better day” with each other, different though we might be.
Optimistic sentiment, but how to accomplish that nice “shared humanity” connection when our differences are, often, so profound?
Hey, another great question! Here’s a lovely answer (don’t be smug, Jan!) What actions (small ones are just fine) contribute to making a better day for each of us, as humans, different though we might be? How do we build a walkable bridge across our differences, even for relative nano-seconds?
You asked, so here comes. Really, just so simple, but even better, bolstered by current social science research. Being friendly and kind build bridges. No! Really? (They’re actually funding studies on being friendly and kind? You got it.)
You’re kidding, right?
Not kidding. And here’s a shorthand way of describing bridge-building to…whomever. Pro-social behavior. That research-y sounding term simply means “behaviors through which people benefit others.” Back to acting friendly and kind. Wow!
Examples, please. Examples as in the lyrics “make a better day for you and me?” Easy-peasy. Greeting those you don’t know with an intentional “hi,” or “howdy,” a smile, “hey, have a great day”, a cheerful wave, all show caring and acknowledgment of others. WE ALL want to be seen. Doesn’t it feel great when your presence is acknowledged in a friendly way? And one of the best parts of pro-social behavior is that it’s contagious! Someone smiles or acknowledges you and there’s a good likelihood you’ll pass that positive connectivity on, even with just a smile, to someone else! That’s a contagion I can live with.
OK, I’m out of breath from this show-and-tell. Is this cool, or what? And it’s such a wonderful reminder of why I’ve remembered the “We Are The World” lyrics all these many 38 years. We, you and me, are making a better day with other humans daily, (whether we agree with them or not) using simple, pro-social mini-actions like, “Hey, nice to see you!” (Wondering where I can find a “pro-social” t-shirt? Anyone know?)
Find yourself smiling or moved after reading “This Being Human Thing?” Then share this post with someone you care about.