What The World Needs Now and A Bowl of Cherries

Can’t get this song out of my head… it’s by Jackie DeShannon and it goes like this :

What the world needs now is love, sweet love
It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
No not just for some but for everyone.

So here’s a shout out to the heroic people on the “frontlines” of the coronavirus pandemic, from health care workers to food bank volunteers. Thank you for selflessly putting yourself at risk to serve others! You are truly inspiring and uplifting!

My way of “serving” is quite different – it is taking my part to “flatten the curve” by quarantining myself, as someone in the “at risk” population. Like many people, maybe even you, I’m spending a lot of time alone, and on the computer, and sometimes falling victim to my own fears.

Where does your online time take you? Have you noticed what I’ve noticed – that in the midst of this global trauma, and despite the possibility of spiraling down a path of negativity, that the links you follow somehow end up on extremely positive messaging? Could this be “God” or the “Universe” interfering to save us from despair?

Have you had an experience like this one? I found myself watching a lot of free movies. I spent two hours watching something I would have considered a waste of time – when I noticed a hidden gem at the very end.

The soundtrack was playing the song “Life Is Just A Bowl Of Cherries”, which didn’t even match up with what the documentary was about. I felt drawn to look up lyrics, which turned out to be by George Gershwin:

People are queer, they’re always crowing, scrambling and rushing about;
Why don’t they stop someday, address themselves this way?
Why are we here? Where are we going? It’s time that we found out.
We’re not here to stay; we’re on a short holiday.

Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don’t take it serious; life’s so mysterious.
You work, you save, you worry so,
But you can’t take your dough when you go, go, go.
So keep repeating it’s the berries,
The strongest oak must fall,
The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned
So how can you lose what you’ve never owned?
Life is just a bowl of cherries,
So live and laugh at it all.

What is your reaction to these lyrics? Do you resonate with the opening questions of “Why are we here? Where are we going? It’s time that we found out.”? Are you offended by the suggestion to “live and laugh at it all” at a time like this?

Do you feel inspired to find each moment precious, with the same potential “cherry” sweetness as any other? Or does knowing a bowl can only hold a limited number of cherries make you anxious there may not be many left in yours?

Why are people so scared to get Covid-19? It’s because death has become their first or main fear, and while the fear of death should be within everyone, it should not paralyze us. It should allow this sobering reality to make us more open and loving and forgiving…and take time to make amends and a whole bunch of other healing stuff!

How do you feel about all of this? What is your experience…your heart-breaks and break-throughs? I would love to hear from you! Please write to me at Frank@FantasticFrankJohnson.com

Love
FFJ

PS – Due to Coronavirus social distancing guidlines, I am not doing public speaking at the moment. However I am available as an inspirational guest on radio, podcasts, etc.