Islands in the Stream… “We Ride it Together”.
We’ve seen as the weeks develop that Covid -19 is not selective in who it targets, it doesn’t matter if you have money, status, power or privilege. We’ve seen that over the last few days with Heads of Government, even our own Prime Minister developing symptoms and falling prey to its rampant grip.
A couple of days ago we lost an iconic figure in the Country’s music industry. I don’t of course know much about who Kenny Rogers was a person, but I suspect the silver foxed singer had the kind of country career that most could only dream of… What I am sure of however is that he brought a great deal of joy and happiness to those who loved his music.
Kenny’s classic duet with Dolly Parton of “Islands in the Stream” is a timeless and catchy tune and once ‘in your head’ hard to shake off. Trust me I know! I found myself not only thinking, but singing (very badly) the lyrics this week…
“Islands in the stream That is what we are No one in between How can we be wrong Sail away with me To another world And we rely on each other, ah ha From one lover to another, ah ha”
I can’t help but reference the point that ‘Our Albion’ is an Island surrounded by water… and right now we are relying heavily on each other for support to ride out this storm. There is something quite magical that happens when human beings join together with a common aim. It’s a scientific and much researched fact that the neurotransmitter dopamine is present in the brain during social bonding. Dopamine is the feel good transmitter and social connection is a powerful stimulator of this chemical. Uniting in a common aim literally makes us feel good!
It doesn’t really matter how you make that connection or that bond, it could be (as in my case) driving your friend Kate nuts singing the chorus to ‘Islands in the Stream’ down the phone … or linking up with a quiz night or setting mental challenges through social media. Many of us are alone in this, physically alone in homes, but the internet/our telephones still allows us that connection, that bonding to take place.
Interestingly Ernest Hemingway wrote the novel ‘Islands in the Stream’ that the song is named after. There is a beautiful line in the book that caught my attention; “If the wind rises it can push us against the flood when it comes.”
So it doesn’t matter in the present crisis if you have money and privilege, none of us can run off to a desert island and escape the reality that we are all confined, indoors, guarding our health and protecting that of our health care systems… money can’t buy our way out of this. We have to ride it out together… and as a united force, we can push against the flood when it comes.
Stay safe Everyone … and stay In,
Jacky.
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