"There's no leader of this band, and there never will be. That's the key. You can't control how the public perceives you -- people see rock 'n' roll bands as the guitar player and the singer." -- Shannon Hoon
So true, isn't it? In everything we do, people slip into their "roles," but when I think about it, like Hoon said, these roles are merely created out of perception. In reality, they don't exist at all. Of course, everyone in the band is indeed important, so why do we single people out and raise them up as if they're "the ones"? And why do others disappear, fading into the background.
I do it too. I may see someone as a manager, a famous actor, or a thief. But when it comes down to it, these perceptions mean nothing at all.
Superstar, punk, janitor, drummer, executive, chef, dishwasher, president -- all perception. What about the beauty on the inside? What kind of soul is really in there? Maybe the chef secretly makes butterfly wood carvings. Maybe the executive would rather be a tour guide in the Grand Canyon. Maybe the drummer would rather be swimming in the ocean, because he loves sharks. And maybe, just maybe, the superstar just wants to curl up on the couch with someone and be loved, but he or she can't seem to find it in that world. Ever. So close, but no.
If we all saw each other as spirits here to help one another, the labels would disappear. And I'm certain that we would all wear pajamas every day, all day, all night. I'm sure of it. Because if the focus were on giving, the appearances and role wouldn't matter. At all.
Today, let me see how I can be a helpful spirit, part of the band, so to speak, not the leader or the one hiding, but "in it" fully, as part of a working whole,
C.A. MacConnell
