Today is the official launch for Last Call to Vote (Together We’re Stronger), a song my band Beet the System recorded over the last couple of months. The final title ended up being Last Call to Vote, not exactly a rosy proposition. But the subtitle and chorus line Together We’re Stronger carries the deeper superpower that is driving my thinking around the fraught times we find ourselves in. Take a listen and I’ll explain below….
I had an inspiration a few months ago that instead of spending 2024 fretting over the return of orange man I could do something that would not only help prevent that from happening but also chart a positive path forward. (And yes, there has been a lot of progress over the last 3+ years when you trace the trajectory of change, as Rebecca Solnit points out to those who sometimes prefer amnesia).
As with so many difficult issues we are grappling with as humanity, to be constantly aggravated or stick our heads in the sand cannot be the solution. Yes, it’s important to feel the anger and the pain, but there’s a way to turn that energy into positive forward motion, a kind of ju-jitsu of the mind.
In this case, my thought (with a little help from my partner-in-muse, Deb) was, what if I turn all my angst about this despot fool into creative energy to harness our collective power? It could serve not only as an electoral antidote to the divisive spell this cynical fearmonger has cast on us for going on 10 years, but propel us towards the way we actually want to live and be with each other!
I call it “radical optimism”, the kind that not just envisions a better world but actively and consistently releases force and drives purpose in that direction.
A big part of what makes it work and gives it life is to do it with others. Together we’re stronger, because we can feed off each others’ energy and expand our own horizons. And be reassured we’re not alone in our desire to live in a society where we listen to and take care of one another.
No wonder the creation of this song has been an amazing ride with a bunch of fun and talented musical friends. To learn more about how this all came together, check out https://beetthesystem.fun/lastcall/
