With the weather finally turning to blue skies and sunshine, my musical thoughts have been dominated by summer music. Music that goes hand in hand with beaches, barbeques and sunny backyards. For me, one song that always evokes images of tropical drinks and Hawiian shirts is Escape (The Pina Colada Song) from Rupert Holmes' 1979 album Partner's in Crime. On it's surface, the Pina Colada Song is just a fun singalong song with a catchy beat and easy lyrics. Through the song, Holmes tells a simple, yet ironic, story of a couple who are both bored with their relationship and are looking elsewhere to find excitement, only to realize each of them already had what they were looking for in eachother. The message in this song is one that I think we should all heed. While drive and ambition are a necessary part of a well lived life, it is important once in a while to step back and look at what we have and learn to appreciate it. No situation is ever going to be perfect, but that doesn't necessarily mean we should run from it. Life is beautiful in it's imperfection. If you are unhappy with your job, before you start looking for a new one, perhaps consider if it is the job making you unhappy or is it your perception of the job. If you are not satisfied with the people in your life, maybe you need to reevaluate your expectations of these people. We spend so much time looking for better that we fail to recognize all the good we already have, even when something good is laying right beside us - perhaps reading the personal ads.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hf8BJVwdnY
