Making little changes

Anyone who knows me will have an inkling that I’m a tad obsessed with Frank Turner and his songwriting ability. Sure, there are tracks I don’t like, and Tape Deck Heart is a difficult listen overall, but I admire the guy’s wordsmithery.

He has this infectious quality to his songs, and the outlook from his punk days still shine through; the belief that even when things seem stacked against us, there’s always hope and we all have choices.

Take time out to reflect

I was reminded recently by a friend that people should be nicer to one another and it got me thinking of Mr. Turner and the tracks from his latest album Be More Kind.

Never before has it been more important to just take a step back from the madness of the world and take stock. Just half an hour; an hour; whatever to laugh at the absurdity of all the crap in the so-called news. To listen to yourself, to laugh at yourself, to just chill out for a bit.

Being able to do that brings remarkable clarity. All of a sudden it becomes clear that there are seven billion people on the planet that outnumber the hegemony we’ve elected to represent us. We are their employers. We are in control.

There are regimes that don’t have that perceived freedom, but even there, the odds are stacked in our favour. When a bunch of people join together, revolutions can begin, anywhere in the world, for any reason. It’s as simple as that.

If you’re ever disillusioned by the enormity of life crushing you, step away. Turn off your TV, radio and phone, and reflect. Think. Then do something about it. Change some tiny thing in your life for the better; anything to improve this world for you and others. You’ll be surprised how seemingly innocuous little alterations can snowball as, just like a good song that gets stuck in your head for days, your actions and outlook become infectious to those around you.

As Frank quite rightly says, the big things stay the same ‘til we make little changes.