Or maybe we chose—and choose—to imagine
that what we heard and saw would be a passing thing with no immediate consequences.

A few months before his murder in 1980, John Lennon entered the studio to record “Nobody Told Me.” It would remain an incomplete project until Yoko Ono released the finalized version in 1983.

Well, everybody’s talking and no one says a word
Everybody’s making love and no one really cares
There’s Nazis in the bathroom just below the stairs
Always something happening and nothing going on…

…Nobody told me there’d be days like these
Strange days indeed
Strange days indeed…

Got me thinking about the public discourse over the past few years. As the volume increased and more people felt an obligation to post every thought (critically analyzed or not) that crossed their minds, perhaps you heard something like, “I never saw that coming from her.” Or “Nobody would have thought he would act like that.”

Maybe as John pondered, everyone’s been talking and no one’s listening to the words.

Maybe we weren’t paying attention or chose not to confront what we heard and saw from friends, family, or colleagues. It would pass; that’s not really them.

Or was it?

“Still” you say, “nobody told me it would be like this. Never saw it coming.” After all, we wanted to…

…Imagine all the people
Livin’ for today…

…Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace…

…Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world…

Consider another classic in which Lennon addresses the concept of karma. While often thought of as something we gather for a later life by our actions in this life, the former Beatle said,

“Everybody was going on about karma, especially in the ’60s but it occurred to me that karma is instant, as well as it influences your past life or your future life. There really is a reaction to what you do now. That’s what people ought to be concerned about….”

What we have lived we will experience in this life. We need, Lennon believed, to come to terms with that because

…Instant karma’s gonna get you
Gonna knock you off your feet
Better recognize your brothers
Everyone you meet…

Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear…

And maybe, nobody told us that. Or we chose to ignore it.

Or maybe we chose—and choose—to imagine that what we heard and saw would be a passing thing.

It doesn’t seem to be.

Video recommendation for the Week:

Official video of “Nobody Told Me.”

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Make it a great week and HTRB has needed.

My latest book, Roxie Looks for Purpose Beyond the Biscuit, can be found in eBook ($2.99) and paperback ($9.99) format. Click here.

My dog Roxie gets top billing on the author page for this work. Without her, there would be no story.

Click here for more information about the book. In the meantime, check out her blog.

And you can still order:

Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at the above link.

Stories about Teaching: No Need to be an Island (2017, print and e-book). Available on Amazon. One college’s new faculty onboarding program uses the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same. The accompanying videos (see the link above) would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

My podcasts (all 50 episodes) can be found here.

You will find more about what I do at www.stevepiscitelli.com.

©2021. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®