What world do you imagine?
It was nearly 40 years ago when my older sister called me to cry together about John Lennon's assassination. It was so stunning. So random. So violent. So senseless. It just didn't fit into the world.
The world was different then, of course. It always is. No matter what is going on "now," it was always different "then." In 1980 (Lennon was shot at point-blank range by Mark David Chapman on 12/8/1980), Reagan was elected. A new cable tv station called Cable News Network (CNN) launched. Rubick's Cube was the hot new toy; the facsimile -- or fax -- machine introduced a new, instant way to transmit information; and Post-It Notes were another novelty that just came on the office scene. We were still 10 years away from the world wide web. It was different but all was not innocence. The US failed at an attempt to rescue hostages that had been held in Iran since November 1979. Four Catholic missionaries were murdered in El Salvador. Mt. Saint Helens erupted in Washington and killed 50 people, the biggest US eruption in 75 years. And that's just the US-centric view.
So, the question never changes...what kind of a world do you imagine? I always hope for better -- for compassion, understanding, for mutually beneficial coexistence and support. You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us and the world will be as one. When do you think we will we get there?
Imagine there's no heaven.
It's easy if you try. No hell below us, Above us only sky.
Imagine all the people Living for today.
.
Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do; Nothing to kill or die for And no religion, too.
Imagine all the people Living life in peace.
You may say that I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one.
Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can; No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man.
Imagine all the people Sharing all the world.
You may say that I'm a dreamer, But I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one.