Ever since Hurricane Sandy struck the northeastern coast and we have started to see images of its aftermath, I cannot get Sting’s song “Fragile” out of my mind:
If blood will flow when flesh and steel are one
Drying in the colour of the evening sun
Tomorrow’s rain will wash the stains away
But something in our minds will always stay
Perhaps this final act was meant
To clinch a lifetime’s argument
That nothing comes from violence and nothing ever could
For all those born beneath an angry star
Lest we forget how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
On and on the rain will fall
Like tears from a star like tears from a star
On and on the rain will say
How fragile we are how fragile we are
How fragile we are how fragile we are
This is one of my all-time favorite songs and I think of it whenever I’m confronted with a big loss, whether this loss be a personal one or a collective one. I know that the song is about war and violence, but to me it’s also a forceful reminder of our fragility.
I am convinced that if more of us were to think about this, about how life can change in one split second, about how we truly depend on each other, and about how we are all sharing one incredibly beautiful planet we would try to do a better job of respecting and working with each other for our common good.
Disasters like Hurricane Sandy can bring us together. It’s too bad that our every day lives often tear us apart.
