Last year, one of my favorite country music artists, Thomas Rhett, came out with a song entitled Be A Light. Contrary to popular belief, the song was not about proper illumination, but more an anthem of initiating a positive change in attitude and action. The chorus lyrics go a little something like this:
In a world full of hate, be a light
When you do somebody wrong, make it right
Don’t hide in the dark, you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light
Given the current climate in our country, truer words have never been spoken or sung. I want to be a light. If I was going to be an actual “light,” would I be a flashlight or a light bulb? I like the thought of being a spotlight, search light, night light or lighthouse. I have always enjoyed how fireworks light up the sky. Props go out to both Ben Franklin and Thomas Edison for their contributions to light.
I joke, or pitifully attempt to, when obviously, Mr. Rhett is trying to musically inspire a nation of people to be a ray of light with the hope of bringing us out of this somewhat dark time in history. He is essentially saying that it’s time we put aside our partisan agenda and focus on bringing the citizens of our neighborhoods, cities, states, and nation together again for the greater good and prosperity of our entire country.
Thomas and I truly believe if we don’t start turning darkness into light, we’re destined for a Hunger Games type future. The Hunger Games were very impactful books, pretty good movies, but a really distressing vision of the future. My guess is none of us want our grandkids to be tributes chosen to fight to the death for the betterment of the capital. To ensure that isn’t the path we’re headed down, we’re going to need a reckoning and perhaps that reckoning starts with a song.
I grew up on a military base with the children of Navy and Marine officers and enlisted men. We were a small and diverse nation of every race, religion, ethnicity and GPA. To probably no one’s surprise, I was on the lower end of the GPA scale. That said, growing up together from the time we were infants and toddlers through high school, I’m comfortable saying we didn’t see color or political preference in our friends.
Our military base gang were often lightning rods for mischief and mayhem, but those kids went on to become teachers, policeman, firemen, software engineers, real estate and insurance agents, business owners—and one poor sole even thinks he’s a writer.
As children of military men and women, we were all raised to respect each other and our country. We played, learned, traveled, fought, dated, and competed against each other in a healthy and productive environment. That appears to be a concept that has slipped between the cracks, however, it’s not inconceivable that it could be brought back if we all tried to be a light.
Ironically, I remember chasing Fireflies as a child. What better way to exemplify being a light than having your butt actually light up? I wish my bottom could light up just for the sake of this article.
A few people that I think exemplify being “lights” in society today include:
Tom Brady, who, as a 43 year old NFL quarterback, headed to his 10th Super Bowl, lights up the NFL with every victory.
Amanda Gorman shone brightly when the 22-year-old American Poet graced the stage at President Biden’s inauguration.
John Krasinski (formerly a cast member on The Office) shows us the lighter side of life with his “Some Good News” Show.
The health care workers throughout the country who deal with COVID-19 are truly bright lights in the pandemic darkness.
Lights that were recently extinguished include:
- Eddie Van Halen whose guitar licks loved the spotlight.
- The same could be said for Hank Aaron as he lit up Major League Baseball when he broke Babe Ruth’s home run record back in the day.
- And then there’s Larry King, who truly seemed to love the limelight as he conducted over 50,000 interviews.
On a “lighter” note, I find those Progressive Insurance commercials where Dr. Rick, the Parental Life Coach, helps people from turning into their parents. Those spots are incredibly enlightening. They are so me. I do virtually all the things pointed out in that entertaining series of 30 second TV ads, including introducing myself to my waiter at a restaurant, groaning when I get up from sitting in a chair, offering advice to other customers at Home Depot, and being intimidated by technology—just like my dad used to do.
Finally, it’s a beautiful sight seeing the sun light warm the I-680 hillside, between Stone Valley Road and El Pintado in Alamo, where a zebra, camel, llamas, Shetland Ponies and other animals roam.
If you’re interested, the entirety of Rhett’s song goes a little something like this:
In a time full of war, be peace
In a time full of doubt, just believe
Yeah, there ain’t that much difference between you and me
In a time full of war, be peace
In a place that needs change, make a difference
In a time full of noise, just listen
‘Cause life is but a breeze, better live it
In a place that needs a change, make a difference
In a race that you can’t win, slow it down
Yeah, you only get one go around
‘Cause the finish line is six feet in the ground
In a race you can’t win, just slow it down
In a world full of hate, be a light (oh)
When you do somebody wrong, make it right (make it right)
Don’t hide in the dark (don’t hide in the dark), you were born to shine
In a world full of hate, be a light
Yeah, it’s hard to live in color, when you just see black and white
In a world full of hate, be a light
I look forward to seeing and meeting more lights in and around town. Let’s turn our high beams on and move forth into the New Year. There is a light at the end of this tunnel, and collectively we can illuminate the future.
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