As an avid fan of the band Chicago, I really appreciate the song "Dialogue," not only for its upbeat tempo, catchy guitar riffs, and strong brass section, but for the powerful lyrics as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWODczdgGDQ
Essentially, part one of the song is a conversation between two people with very different mindsets and outlooks regarding the world around them. The first contributor is asking the other many questions, such as "Will you try to change things, use the power that you have, the power of a million new ideas?" or "Don't it make you angry the way war is dragging on?" The second voice you hear is from a college student, who is not interested in the world and its numerous events. He says he only needs to worry about himself, and is oblivious to the need for change in their society.
This song was written in 1972, making "Voice Number Two's" argument "I always thought everything was fine" incredibly invalid. In this time period, the Vietnam War was raging, President Nixon visited Communist China, NASA was doing incredible things in space, the Watergate Scandal occurred, and African Americans were in the early stages of equal rights. I was surprised that I actually became angry when listening to "Voice Number Two's" lines in the song. How could one be so out of touch in the world that they lived in, especially in a time when radio, television, satellites, and newspapers made it so easy to know what is going on?
His ignorance made me realize how important it is for me to stay involved in the world today, or else I might have an artificial sense of contentedness like he did. Sure, everything might be alright in my life, but that does not mean that everything is alright in the world. As a citizen of this planet it is my responsibility to have an understanding of the problems facing our civilization, and do my best to help out when I can. When asked if he was worried about what was happening he simply said, "I try to mind my business, that is, no business at all." I could've written an Inconvenient Truth blog about this line alone. Everyone has the ability to play a role in global affairs. Just because something doesn't affect you directly, the implications of such an event canplay a role in your life.
When "Voice Number One" asked "Will you try to change things, use the power that you have, the power of a million new ideas?" I saw each one of us has this power he talks about. We can all change things, whether it be individually, or coming together as a country, continent, or even species. In order to unleash this power, however, one needs to have an understanding of the world around them. How can you fix things if you don't know what is broken?
An example I can think of is the environmental crisis. As of right now, this crisis has a limited or no effect on me as an individual. But as a planet, the consequences of such a catastrophe are indelible. Wait fifty years, and the oceans flooding onto continental soil or removal of oxygen from the atmosphere might concern me a bit. By raising my own awareness now, I can do all in my power to prevent such an event from occurring in the future. My power of ideas could be something as simple as starting a recycling program at school, to as complicated as creating an efficient new bio-energy.
In the end, you just don't want to be passive through life, and let it come to you. Be an active member of your family, your school, town, country, and planet. Know what's going on, and maybe even be part of it.
Last summer, my friend had an opportunity to meet this band in person, and eventually they got around to talking about the possibility of a dual concert next year. Now, for the past six months or so I have been rehearsing with several of my musical friends, playing these songs, in the hopes of joining Chicago in a concert over the summer. This would be one of the greatest experiences of my life, but would not have arisen if not for my friend's can-do attitude and proactive attitude.
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