How do you Withstand the Hell we Live In?

I'm not normally a Kid Rock fan. However, there are three songs on his latest album that I am addicted to. All three of them can be found on my Playlist here on Geeks: Amen, All Summer Long, and Only God Knows Why. I play them over and over, particularly Amen.

The first time I heard this song, it resonated deeply within my soul. I looked up the lyrics, and played it again. Then, I started it over once more. Each and every time I hear it, my head starts swirling with emotions and thoughts. Tonight, I decided that I would try to put those things into words, and share them with all of you.

Amen - Kid Rock

It's another night in hell
Another child won't live to tell
Can you imagine what it's like to starve to death

And as we sit free and well
Another soldier has to yell
"Tell my wife and children I love them" in his last breath

Hell is an appropriate description for the state of the World these days. We literally have children starving, dying painfully from lack of food and water. We have been at war in the Middle East for what seems like forever, with no end in sight. On a daily basis, people are dying... the "enemy", and our own soliders. How many women, parents and children are mourning the deaths of their beloved son/husband/father because they are a casualty of war? When is enough enough, and when will it ever end? Meanwhile, I sit here safely in my home worrying about things like what to make for dinner while our soldiers risk their lives every minute of every day... and while people in Third World countries are dying from starvation. Kind of puts our worries into perspective, doesn't it?

Habitual offenders, scumbag lawyers with agendas
I'll tell you sometimes people I don't know what's worse
Natural disasters or these wolves in sheep clothes pastors
Now God damn it I'm scared to send my children to church
And how can we seek salvation when our nations race relations
Got me feeling guilty of being white
But faith in human nature, our creator and our savior, I'm no saint
But I believe in what is right

So what is worse? Is it Hurricane Ike, or the priests and pastors who are being arrested for child molestation? How many of us 'hate' the lawyers who are nothing more than ambulance chasers - out to make a buck off of things that they have no business even meddling in? I don't feel "guilty" for being white. I do, however, feel as though I SHOULD feel guilty. In the United States, we will never have racial equality until we stop living in the past, accept that we cannot change what has gone before us, and look towards a future together.

I am not a Christian. I am Wiccan. However, the last part of that verse rings true for me. My faith in humanity, myself and my Goddess lead me down a path to living the way I believe is right. Am I perfect? HELL no. However, I do the best I can to live a good life. At the end of the day, isn't that what all of us should do?

Stop pointing fingers and take some blame,
Pull your future away from the flame
Open up your mind and start to live
Stop short changing your neighbors
Living off hand outs and favors, and maybe
Give a little bit more than you got to give

AMEN! It is human nature to blame our problems and shortcomings on everyone but ourselves. But when we take responsibility for ourselves and our actions/thoughts/deeds, we grow as a person. We begin to finally understand ourselves and work harder to live better lives. Stop blaming others, stop whining about your "fate" in life. Live your life according to what you truly feel is 'right' deep down, and own up to the fact that you are, indeed, often wrong.

Simplify, testify, identify, rectify
And if I get high stop being so uptight
It's only human nature and I am not a stranger
So baby won't you stay with me tonight

Yep. I'm human. I'm not friggin perfect. Guess what? Neither are you!!! Instead of spending so much time worrying about others' mistakes, why not attempt to worry about your own? If someone you know screws up, don't judge them so harshly. Let it go. What's the point of pointing fingers and condemning them?

It's a matter of salvation from them patience up above,
So don't give up so damn easy on the one you love, one you love
Somewhere you got a brother, sister, friend, grandmother, niece or nephew
Just dying to be with you
You know there's someone out there who unconditionally, religiously, loves you
So just hold on 'cause you know it's true
And if you can take the pain
And you can withstand anything, and one day
Stand hand in hand with the truth

My thoughts on this verse change at times. The second line particularly is important to me: "Don't give up so damn easy on the one you love". It doesn't matter how you love them, or what your relationship is with them. Love, in any capacity, is damn hard. It takes work. It takes trust, and patience. Don't give up just because it may get rough at times. Hold on to it, work at it, and rejoice in it.

At the end of the day, love is what matters: love of your friends, your family, your significant other... love for life... love for nature... love for your Higher Power... love for yourself.

If you can hold onto that love, no matter how hard it may get, you can withstand anything.

Tags: amen, kid-rock, love, politics, religion

Add a Comment

You need to be a member of Geeks! to add comments!

Join this Ning Network

Comment by Gary on September 20, 2008 at 9:21pm: mainstream music is so overplayed so thats what drives me not to like popular songs but some are still good

Comment by Stacey on September 19, 2008 at 9:18am: I trully feel like most of you are right. The best youcan do is tehbest you can do. everyday try to be a better person and do something for someone else. You would be suprised how much difference a ginuine smile can make in someones day. We do live in terrible times but for the most part we could all do more to make the world an easier place to live in. It starts inside you and if youlet it can spill over onto others. Love isn't the only thing people need but it sure can make a bad day better.

Comment by Kat on September 13, 2008 at 3:44pm: John Everett: Why would you criticize someone for their emotions and opinions? That's pretty low. Did I say "omg these are new and horrible things"? No, I didn't. I'm well aware how long these plights have been going on, and how they will continue.

I may not be able to ever solve world hunger, nor stop wars, but I CAN do my part to make the world somehow just a little better. Can you say the same at the end of every day?

Thank YOU for playing.

Comment by Keenan on September 13, 2008 at 12:11pm: cliffystones...your personal comment above disturbs me very drastically. You comment on the kids that grow up to have other kids that continue the hunger war. You obviously do not think of the kids that die of hunger, the women who are probably raped that had these kids, the war fare that continues in countries like this, the drug lords who reign in these countries, and the other misfortunes faced by these people on a daily basis. These are people, not someone you can say ‘Well they are starving for 40 years, why aren’t they all dead yet?’ So reading your comments it sounds like you are blaming them and they all should die so you no longer have to listen to the stories of hunger and children dying on TV. You are pathetic my “man”, pathetic. And you wonder why you are hated by the “brain washed” masses. Please think beyond yourself.

Comment by cliffystones on September 13, 2008 at 8:41am: To John Everett, I recommend "Political Science" by Randy Newman.

Cat,

John is right to a point. As "white" people, "Americans", whatever we'll always get blamed for the suffering of others. But as someone who has been "over there" let me tell you, the crisis that others in the world are suffering is largely due to their own mentality. Sure, corrupt , "carpetbagger" Americans have set up shop in these countries and manipulated their business to line their pockets. But it was there own people who colluded with these Americans to allow this to happen. Saudi Arabia is a prime example of this collusion, hence my desire to "Drill here, Drill Now!".

You don't have to be a Christian to follow the ten commandments, and you don't have to believe that he was the Son of God to see the wisdom in the teachings of Jesus. The best we can do as individuals is to live and act these teachings each day in our lives, and accept responsibility for our own behavior. The main reason the I have avoided organized religion is the "wind up on Sunday"( to quote a song that inspired me) mentality of so many self-proclaimed Christians.

We need to take responsibility for our own lives and work to change that which we can on an individual level. "Pay it forward".

We (liberals in particular) need to accept that fact that there are evil people in the world, people who would starve them, enslave them, and probably kill them in an attempt to exert control over humanity. Regardless of what Americans do, we will still be hated by the brainwashed masses, "over there", it's how they are controlled by the evil people who have subjugated them.

And on a personal note, we Americans have been flooded by those TV commercials constantly talking about feeding those "hungry children" (anyone remember Sally Struthers pitch?). I've seen them for over forty years. Those kids got a little food, grew up and proceeded to have babies that they couldn't or wouldn't feed. Where's the pro-choice movement when you need it?

Comment by John Everett on September 13, 2008 at 7:57am: Geez, I just woke up... Guess I better be careful where I click.

I don't understand why you think war and starving children are new things. In fact conditions globally, as far as people's living conditions, are vastly improved. Polio has been eliminated, for example.

In fact we are currently suffering the effects of way, way too many people. As in the rest of nature, creatures (including humans) will suffer as conditions shift, populations rise and fall, the environment changes. And so it goes. Nothing you can do in the grand scheme of things, but thanks for playing.

I recommend listening to Monty Python's "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" instead.

Comment by OmniDragon on September 12, 2008 at 1:18pm: My own views on life and religion always steer me towards music like Bob Dylan's Slow Train Comin'. The whole album, actually. Particularly the When You Gonna Wake Up and When He Returns. Sometimes it even makes me shed a tear, and heck...i never cry. Right now, I'm listening to Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love.

Though the first song that popped into my head while reading this was "I've Been There Too" by Ten Years After. Went lookin' for it on the Web and found it on last.fm.

It is human nature to blame our problems and shortcomings on everyone but ourselves

If you're reading this, and you're someone who blames other people for your own "problems and shortcomings", I implore you to stop it now. Because the longer you wait to start pointing the finger at yourself, the harder it's going to be on you in the future. Trust me. I'd go into more detail about that, but that's something that's best saved for a therapy session.

Awesome blogpost, Kat. Awesome awesome awesome. I love thought provoking literature. I twittered it too. Has Chris read this? Well, whoever hasn't is really missin' out. Yeah, this should be a featured blog post.

Now listening to: Billy Joel - We Didn't Start The Fire

Comment by Morticia on September 12, 2008 at 3:27am: I'm really glad I read this. I feel exactly the same way... I figure all I can do personally is give all the love I have. Well, I can also give of my time, my resources, my skills, etc... to help whoever I can in any way possible. But then again, doing those things... that is love too. And of course, I'm not perfect, just like everyone else... so I don't always do this. But I strive to, I want to.

I mean, it upsets me also that there is so much hunger, suffering, and dying in the world and right alongside that there are so many money hungry, greedy, thoughtless people who basically don't give a damn about anyone else. It really makes me angry. Right now I'm having a hard time not sinking into that bitterness and hatred myself... it's very hard not to sometimes. But I guess I just take a look around at all the hurt and suffering, and then it's really hard for me to not want to help or do something.

Comment by MorningMist on September 12, 2008 at 2:53am: One thing I tell people all the time. I am not perfect and neither are you. I dont love you for your perfections I love you for you. I cannot save the world. I just am not that good. But I can do little things here and there. Like sometimes I will pick up trash on the streets. I cant get every peice all the time but I can get some. I recycle because it helps. I give money to perfect strangers when it feels right and I have the money to give. I do what I feel is the right thing to do. Sure I make mistakes but I try.

Comment by Jack on September 12, 2008 at 2:50am: Kat, that was the most amazing blog post ever. Chris has to promote this. It (literally) made me cry. This post made me cry with sadness, and happiness. It is so true of the world we live in, and how love gets us through it all. We also need to keep in perspective when data loss happens, that there are 2 year old children, cradled in their grandmothers arms, rummaging through rubbish heaps to find food, in a third-world country.

Twitter'd, FriendFeed'd, Love'd