**READER WARNING**
The "Not for the Faint Hearted" series contains themes, topics, and language that may not be suitable for all ages. It is highly recommended that an adult or guardian read these stories prior to any minor to assess it's suitability.
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...They say that no man is an island...
I hate it when I get a song stuck in my head. Worse than that, I hate it when I get a song stuck in my head and I can only remember one line. I'm stuck humming the next 30 seconds until the line comes around again. I've heard people tell me to listen to the song the whole way through, that's enough to dislodge it from your mind, that somehow the act of listening to the entirety of the tune causes each word to wriggle free and float away into the ether. I've tried that, I've tried that every day for the past three years and still, five o'clock on the dot, as I step out of the office and place my first shoe onto the pavement that takes me towards the train station, it's all I can hear.
...They say that no man is an island...
Da da daaa da da da daaaaaaa... There is it again! I've tried other tactics, I've researched the song, Jon Bon Jovi - Santa Fe. Far from his most well known creation, I've belted out Livin' on a Prayer in the shower enough times that I could probably sing the whole thing without stopping. But this song? It's a bunch of cliched one liners that don't mean anything. Of course I'd never admit that to a fan, I value my safety too much to offend. But then, I've never told anyone, let alone a fan, of my unique 'problem'.
...They say that no man is an island...
Part of the frustration is not remembering the rest of the lyrics. I look them up, even print them off, but when it happens, nothing, I always seem to have misplaced the paper and can't remember anything, even if I only just read it.
...They say that no man is an island...
A few weeks after this first started, when it had gone from a quirky annoyance into a full blown daily frustration, I decided to go deeper into my research. Of course I came across the famous John Donne. I remembered the name from high school, snickering as the teacher tried to give us an education into the duality of the flea and its pseudo-sexual connection between the lovers. But the morbidity from which Donne speaks in his "no man is an island" is
...They say that no man is an island...
Ah! Seriously, I was mid thought! Where was I, morbid, yes, Donne was sick and in that sickness came to a realisation that, as we are all a part of the world, anyone leaving it takes away from it. That's a little egotistical isn't it? He thought he was dying and, by association his departure from this world would diminish the world, because we're all connected, because
...They say that no man is an island...
Ha! I set that one up... I think I'm getting a hang of how my mind is working. Another thing... Who is this "they" that the song speaks about? This fabled group of wise people who impart their advice, knowledge and never ending enlightenment to the uneducated, unwashed masses. Granted, "they" when given context is fine: "teachers get a lot of holidays", "well they say that teachers spend a lot of their holidays working" - something like this conversation makes some semblance of sense, "they" are the teachers talking about themselves. It's the ethereal, non contextual "they" that frustrates me. How can I become a part of the "they", I want to share my wealth of wisdom with the world.
...They say that no man is an island...
That is the crux of it though, isn't it. "They" don't exist, so "they" can't say that saying. Maybe Bon Jovi was being lazy, maybe his lyrics should be corrected: "Donne says that no man is an island", credit where credit is due and all that. Granted, it's less poetic and it'd probably make for a less entertaining song, but accuracy is important too! Hey, wait, I pretty much said the whole line and it didn't trigger a
...They say that no man is an island...
Spoke too soon... What is an island, really. I don't mean the physical lump of dirt, but the metaphysical, the amorphic concept of a human being, isolated and alone, connected only to the world via the vast emptiness of the metaphorical oceans around it. But that's not quite true is it? Some islands are almost on top of each other, you could almost jump from one to another, they might as well not even be called an island, except geographically of course. But if we aren't islands, as the song suggests, then what are we? All part of a continent, all physically joined in some way, then how do we see people being truly isolated from one another?
...They say that no man is an island...
Yeah I get it, stop with the song already! It doesn't take much to see that people are in fact disconnected from one another, they might be right next to someone else, but they are completely isolated. Look over there, two people standing at a set of traffic lights waiting to cross, they couldn't be any closer if they were lovers, but they clearly don't know each other. Physical closeness doesn't equate to emotional nearness, to actually "being" close to someone. But then there's moments where I feel close to someone and then a minute later couldn't feel more disconnected. The ambivalence of it all is too much.
...They say that no man is an island...
No! I reject your song Bon Jovi. I don't agree Mr Donne, my connection to another being is fluid, there are times when I am as close to another being or a group of beings as anyone ever can be, and yet there are times when I am alone, isolated, and completely cut off from those around me, no matter my physical reality. So no, whoever "they" are is wrong, I CAN be an island, or I CAN be a part of the group, I choose my reality, I choose who and what I want to be, when I want to be it and no long-dead poet, and no still alive singer-songwriter can tell me differently, I AM MY ISLAND!
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Peace, it's gone... finally... I'm going to go and keep walking towards the train... I think I'm in the clear... what a relief!
It's kind of quiet in here without the song...
I'm sure I'll get used to it, slowly...
...Des-Pa-Cito Quieo Respirar Tu Cuello Despacito...
Oh you've got to be kidding me... I don't even speak Spanish!
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Not for the Faint Hearted - No Man is an Island
Short Story***READER WARNING*** The "Not for the Faint Hearted" series contains themes, topics, and language that may not be suitable for all ages. It is highly recommended that an adult or guardian read these stories prior to any minor to assess it's suitabil...
