Listen to this song by Pink:

Pink – Dear Mr. President (feat. Indigo Girls)

It’s a pretty controversial song, obviously addressed to U.S. President Bush. I’m no American but somehow the song is very relatable. To generalize the song, it talks about the distance between the world leaders and the rest of the human race. How the powerful paves the way for destruction of the helpless. All around the world, it’s the same story- we are an extreme case of the blind leading the blind. To make things worse, the blind leaders are a generally selfish lot. So what can we make of it except than to realize that humans has proven to be incapable of ruling his kind. Which is not surprising because we’re made up of the same stuff – imperfectus materiales. Well, I do believe in God – in someone who knows everything that we don’t. [Enter religious rants here.]. But this is not a post to incite debates about that. I just wanted to cite that fact.

So here’s my take on this. I cannot refute the fact that we need leaders. We’re all of the same kind but for every group, someone has to step up to be a guide for the others – there has to be someone to bind the flock together. Dependence and interdependence is very much a part of our make up. But everybody needs to be a leader, too. I mean this in the sense that I believe every person should cultivate in himself the skills as well as values that would make him the best person that he can be. Big talk, I know. These days, values and integrity are two words that are so seldom realized. And what about excellence? How often do we see these three together?

Believe it or not, I’m not being self-righteous. I’m writing this to remind myself of the things that I know in my heart are true but are just understandably hard to follow. To set standards and at least do something to inch my way toward them.

Everybody’s not perfect. Not every one can be the country’s President. But everyone can be kind, considerate, and respectful. We can lead ourselves; then maybe later, we’ll find that we can help others. Being soft doesn’t have to mean being weak. I think we need to open up our hearts a little sometimes. To let love in. It wouldn’t erase what we have in our heads. I’ve somehow forgotten that, being way too busy dealing with all my life’s troubles.

Going back to the song, it voices out the sentiments of a people disappointed by it’s leader. Maybe he had forgotten how it is to be kind. Here’s hoping that not too many us will get that far.