Don’t worry about a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright
Singing don’t worry about a thing
‘Cause every little thing gonna be alright
— Three Little Birds, Bob Marley
We hear the phrase – “Life is Short” – with increasing repetition and with gaining velocity. After hearing it again last week, I decided to investigate this curiosity.
Indeed, life is short, and those of us who have been at the woodpile of life for a few decades can relate. Each of us can exchange quite a few examples of fate, bad luck, or unlucky circumstances responsible for cutting short a once promising young life.
Many of us witnessed the early death of a young family member or close friend, and we all can remember hearing about a horrific story of a young child tragically killed by an abusive parent, a young wedding couple killed by a drunk driver, or some all too youthful individual being cut down by illness.
I saw the movie Bob Marley: One Love and was moved by the story and his tragically premature death. Bob died at age the of 36 from a malignant melanoma under his right big toe. Bob didn’t take the advice of doctors and the cancer eventually metastasized to his lungs, liver, and brain. Bob was a once in generation singer who crossed over so many boundaries and cut across so many lines.
Whenever we hear about the death of a young person and we attend a service for someone who recently passed away, we exclaim life is short and we live that day a little less nervous and a little more in tune with those around us. The real question is why does it take the unexpected death of a loved one, or the unanticipated death of a younger individual to ring home the truth of our mortality?
It goes without saying, most of us should simply find more joy, happiness, and contentment with the little things in our lives, and it shouldn’t take the viewing of a body in a casket to get some perspective. We have so many things to celebrate, yet most of us are trapped in the chaos and stupidity of the day and most of us can’t allow ourselves to be happy or alright with our ordinary lives.
We can’t continue to allow the dark clouds of jealousy, envy, hatred, and fear take the steering wheel in our lives. We should allow peace and happiness to govern our behavior and we should truly be radiant in the complete sunshine that is our lives.
In politics, we overly and overtly focus on the moment-by-moment banalities of political servitude and don’t allow the true aspects of the real world to envelop this life of ours. This world would be a better place if we heeded the words of Bob Marley and lived with a little more joy and a little less needless worry.
Message to planet Earth: let’s listen to Bob Marley a little more and don’t waste energy on things we have little control over or things that really don’t matter. Let’s all try and be happier with our lot in life and live our remaining days without regret.
Rise up in the mornin’
Smiled with the risin’ sun
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true
Sayin’, this is my message to you.