"Now, and then... I miss you.”
This yearning echoes as if John Lennon himself is casting his voice across the universe, his presence felt in the vocals of the "new" Beatles song "Now and Then," which are both haunting and mystically soothing. The harmonies hang in the air around me with a ghostly presence. It reawakens a profound longing for a connection that defies limitation and time.
For the legion of baby boomers and Beatles enthusiasts alike, the unveiling of this track must resonate with the strum of nostalgia – a visceral, poignant chord plucked in the heart. And as my vision blurs with unbidden tears, I am reminded that such emotional tides are shared, not solitary.
What has transformed since those bygone days of "then"? Wars rage on, human cruelty endures, and the essence of humanity's nature seems unaltered. It's not through rose-tinted glasses that I view the tumultuous era of Vietnam or the societal agonies of the '60s or 70’s, when John Lennon laid down the vocals and piano. No, it's not the upheaval I miss, but rather the spark of idealism, the shared purpose that once drew us together. In stark contrast, the "now" is a mosaic of division and entrenched tribalism, grotesquely magnified by the insidious reach of social media.
Yet, there was a moment, a brief and brilliant flash, when a hint of light cut through the gloom, a whisper of the past that seemed almost tangible. Maybe that’s why I play it over and over again. Words can’t capture what I feel – it is evanescent, like lightning captured in a bottle or the fleeting promise of sunlight edging past a storm cloud.
Reflecting on our current predicament, it is the erosion of our intrinsic bond as humans, regardless of creed, color, or political leanings, that strikes me most. Humanity, in its peculiar nature, has always walked a fine line. Our evolutionary triumph hinged on a primal instinct to guard against the perils of an unforgiving world, yet it is our social fabric that has woven the story of our survival.
Alas, when our primal fears are interwoven with rational thought, our ideologies and convictions can be both the architects of progress and the harbinger of our undoing. This elemental truth – the fraying of our 'connectedness,' particularly with those who challenge our worldview – is the most profound loss of our age.
We dwell within an incessant echo chamber, its dissonance driving us ever further from one another. And absent a compelling force to reunite us, one that transcends the need for conflict, we drift further into fragmentation. We need a source of inspiration. For a moment, it was a melody from the past, a song that traveled through time to reach us now.
The patchwork of our history, both past and present, is woven through our connections with one another, spanning the distances that separate us. It is now evident that the fabric of social ties significantly weaves into the longevity of life itself.
John Lennon, with a voice that transcends five decades, could not say it better: “I know it's true. It's all because of you. And if I make it through, It's all because of you.” Thank you John, Paul, George and Ringo. I miss you.
The peace we seek lies in the tapestry of our togetherness. What we need is a curriculum of connection. Who, or what, will emerge to connect us, and to weave these torn and frayed threads once more?