I’ve written many times in the past (like here and here) about being deliberate and proactive about how I live my life. And hopefully my feelings on that are also apparent in the title of this blog. So to mix things up, I thought I would veer away (pun intended) from my obvious response to this week’s Sunday Scribblings prompt:
I don’t want to be a passenger in my own life. (Diane Ackerman)
I’m sure I’m not the only person who immediately had Iggy Pop’s The Passenger running through their head. After reading the lyrics, it struck me how much the song seems to be about taking the time to step back and appreciate life and the world and everything that’s in it. Sometimes we get so carried away with driving that we miss the scenery along the way. This could be a stretch for Iggy, but I like thinking about it from this perspective anyway:
I am the passenger
And I ride and I ride
I ride through the city’s backsides
I see the stars come out of the sky
Yeah, the bright and hollow sky
You know it looks so good tonightI am the passenger
I stay under glass
I look through my window so bright
I see the stars come out tonight
I see the bright and hollow sky
Over the city’s ripped backside
And everything looks good tonight
Singin la la la la la-la-la la…Get into the car
We’ll be the passenger
We’ll ride through the city tonight
We’ll see the city’s ripped backsides
We’ll see the bright and hollow sky
We’ll see the stars that shine so bright
Stars made for us tonightOh the passenger
How how he rides
Oh the passenger
He rides and he rides
He looks through his window
What does he see?
He sees the sign and hollow sky
He see the stars come out tonight
He sees the city’s ripped backsides
He sees the winding ocean drive
And everything was made for you and me
All of it was made for you and me
‘Cause it just belongs to you and me
So lets take a ride and see what’s mine
Singin la la la la la-la-la la…Oh the passenger
He rides and he rides
He sees things from under glass
He looks through his window side
He sees the things he knows are his
He sees the bright and hollow sky
He sees the city sleep at night
He sees the stars are out tonight
And all of it is yours and mine
And all of it is yours and mine
So let’s ride and ride and ride and ride…
Singin la la la la la-la-la la…
More thoughts on passengers and life can be found here. La la la la la-la-la…
I hadn’t thought of that song, but it is an interesting take on the prompt. And you’re right about sometimes getting so carried away with driving that we miss the scenery along the way.
Stop and smell the roses, so to speak. Good outlook!