One of my previous positions had me crisscrossing the lower forty-eight doing IT work at regional government installations. While the most rewarding aspect of these junkets was the camaraderie of interacting with the folks posted to these far flung parts of the country, these excursions also allowed me to sate my appetite for exploration.
During down time, I logged serious mileage on rental cars and was able to take in sweeping coastal panoramas, the solitude of the desert, and the stunning silence from mountain vistas. Often solitary, on rare occasions, I'd insert myself into a large horde of people.
One job landed me in a city during a major music festival. The press of humanity was mitigated by first rate musical acts, food tents, and my introduction to Leinenkugel beer when it was still a regional brand. It was a perfect summer day with full sun, mild temps, and just a bit of a breeze. As an odd counterpoint to the mass of humanity, there was an abundance of butterflies flittering around. I followed one's wonky flight pattern and watched it pause on the sidewalk. Suddenly, some guy takes a running jump, stomped on it, and ran off laughing with his buddies.
I nearly dropped my beer. In this world there's never going to be too much beauty, and this punk just took out one of its greatest envoys. Years later, I can't remember the name of single band I heard, but I still remember that incident. It marred what was otherwise a pretty stellar day.
"The World I Know" is Collective Soul's sophomore Rock-tober appearance and comes off their actual sophomore, self titled album. The song struck a chord, breaking into the top 40 in numerous global markets and hitting number one in both the US and Canada. The video expounds on the weighty lyrics and follows a man struggling with his depressing quest to find the meaning of his life in this world. He finds redemption with a change in perception, finally recognizing the natural beauty that's always existed around him. Seek beauty rather than bleakness - it's a worthy mantra for anyone.
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