Gem in the Form of Tears

Somewhere in the midst of Michael Jackson still basking in the glow of his Thriller career, there came a competitor for the soul charts.

Prince came on the scene and wowed young listeners with the Purple Rain soundtrack.

Although I was hardly impressed with his frilly suits and his nasally squeaks that, I suppose, were supposed to be sexy, I was very impressed that he had so many people who liked that crap.

My attitude for him softened a bit when I learned that he contributed a song for the USA for Africa album. I don't have to like a person's singing to appreciate him working for a good cause.

The song he contributed, I was humbled to discover, was sweet and heartfelt. It was the essence of what the whole album was about. To me, it was the only gem in his career but it was such a notable gem that I have since learned to instead of dismissing an artist because of some songs I don't like, I look deeper into the works of the artist before drawing an opinion.

A Time To Heal

Some really bad things have been happening in the world. I mean really bad; the kind that affects us globally.

A few days ago, Japan suffered the one of the worst known earthquakes in world history, followed by a devastating tsunami, and now radiation leaks from their nuclear plants. I have my doubts that the country will recover in my lifetime.

History has seen a great many bad things, both natural and man-made. Songs that are made for specific disasters are usually timeless and can be sung in light of most other bad things.

Sometimes, they are songs of hope and help. Of course, the best example of this came from the heart of the 80s.



Some songs are not about a specific occurrence, so their messages of reaching out spans over a general audience, who listen and respond.



The people of Japan are resilient and hard-working. One day, they may rise again to the thriving country that they have been known for. Wounds will heal to scars. Desolate wastelands will become busy cities. Nuclear plants that hold radiation will either be earthquake-proof or... (dare I hope?) gotten rid of.

In the meantime, I leave you with a song that has a message that I have always believed in, and that's just to be decent to the next person. A little bit of compassion and kindness can grow, branch out, and stretch out for miles; even as far away as Japan.