There's no turning back
Even while we sleep
We will find you...."
You can interpret this classic song, "Everybody wants to rule the world" any way you want.
I'm not sure I know what the writers had it mind, but I know what it means to me....and if not the favorite song of my life, one of the them....
Today I discovered that guilt is good: it keeps you honest, gives you feedback. I have an aging dog, Ally, a Shetland, who can't hear--but has learned to sign. No, not the signs used by deaf people: dog signs, ones she understands. Ally is alone, spends most of the day outside inside our fence but is able to watch people--and dogs--go by our house. She barks at certain people and dogs and not others, not sure if barking is "hello" or "I don't like you, keep going!" But Ally seems to like, most of all, to go on walks...and today I didn't take her...and at around 5PM (the sun goes down here at about 4:30!!!), she was following me around the house watching whether I put on certain clothes, might be getting ready to take her on a walk...we never went, I was too busy being obsessive about something else...and I felt guilty, not guilty enough to take her, but guilty enough to post this, admit I let her down...let me down.
Guilt is good. It reminds us of our responsibilities, and our commitments...and how important we can be to others, even animals. It tells us we matter. I suppose there is stupid guilt, that's related to obligations we make up--or are related to fairy tales. I'm not talking about that.
You and I know the difference. And if each of us honored our commitments--well, then that's how we can rule the world.
"I can't stand this indecision
Married with a lack of vision
Everybody wants to rule the world
All for freedom and for pleasure
Nothing ever last forever
Everybody wants to rule the world"
Come ride with me...
and enjoy the Tears for Fears video that follows.
Dad, this is so true. Some guilt is productive, while other guilt is not. I think deep down we all know the difference between feeling guilty for what we know should do (walking the dog) and for what we think we should do (looking a certain way, having a certain job, etc.). Nonproductive guilt is an energy suck and only makes it harder for you to do what you know you need to do.
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