Disagreeing with The Beatles

As I finished up a mature, honest conversation with my mom about my dad's condition, I heard the chords and remixed version of "You've Gotta Hide Your Love Away" on KCRW come through the speakers of my busted stereo. And I came to a heartbreaking revelation - I think I have found this morning that I disagree with the Beatles. Maybe not fully disagree, but if I could, I would love to have a word with the Lennon-Mc Cartney writing team that scribed those words.

Looking more closely at the lyrics, I can see the heartbreak and yearning that they experienced over someone of the female persuasion. I understand the value of being careful with who you share your heart with. I have found in my experience that it is a good idea to be cautious with who you trust with what, but I have absolutely no regrets regarding that idea. I figure what I've shared with people will either teach them or me a lesson, and that is invaluable, no matter how much the heart gets knocked from its comfort zone as a result of my expectations and projections. Furthermore, as you might notice from earlier posts, I'm a pretty firm believer now that things happen for a reason. And as such, I have learned that all I want is to be safe. But that has nothing to do with hiding my love away. In fact, it's quite the opposite. If I hide my love away, as Paul and John express they would like me to do in this song, then hatred and anger breeds. It festers, much like the mold on my dishes used to. By keeping this love hidden, by hiding the light inside of me, and covering it up with anything else or reacting to situations in the fashion of my old behaviors, that's when the Committee starts. The second I do something like reaching out to an old friend, phoning a newcomer in the program, asking someone how they're doing and sticking around to actually listen, or simply smiling at a homeless person, that's the second that my attitude changes. My thoughts of everything I'm lacking change to thoughts of everything I have, and my self-esteem emerges from the bottom of the polluted Los Angeles river to the fresh air above Griffith Park and the Hollywood sign.

I cannot resent Lennon and McCartney for too long, because I understand what they were saying. Be careful, be prejudiced with whom you share your heart. However, since things are often taken out of context, I hesitate to rally behind them on this particular song. What I have to choose to remember, though is that these are the same geniuses that told us, "All you need is love", a line I have always held deep and close to my heart, and something I believe I cannot disagree with.

Thanks for letting me share, keep reading and stay strong. You are valued.