As far as I can recall, the first time I ever heard the song “What A Wonderful World” sung by Louis Armstrong was in the film Good Morning, Vietnam. It was a beautiful thing, that in the midst of that horrible war, there were still people finding reasons to smile and enjoy life. For although there are a number of human beings who strive to make life as difficult and miserable as it can be, it still really is a wonderful world.
Personally, I make it a point to regularly spend time in nature, where I am constantly reminded of how wonderful the world really is. Faced with a lot of the negativity that I see on the various screens I look at everyday, it is a gift to be able to remove myself from that manufactured reality and open up to the greater world beyond. For in reality, although there seems to be an ample supply of tragedy in the world, spending time in nature reminds me that despite the miseries we often create for ourselves, life’s purest function is that it provides.
Although I have often said that humankind’s most audacious invention is money, it may very well be that drama beats It out. Through the wars we wage, the competition we conjure, the power we pursue, the relationships we wrangle, and the scarcity mentality we sustain to bolster our use of money, we seem to manufacture drama like no other species on the planet. Yet even in spite of all of the drama we create, we are still often quite capable of realizing the wonder in the world around us.
In questioning the purpose of life, many people come up with different answers. some say that we are here to serve one another. Some say that we are here to find happiness. And unfortunately, some think that we are here to suffer. It may very well be that we are here to wonder.
For even in our seemingly ceaseless enactments of drama, life still provides. For those with eyes to see, every question has an answer, every problem leads to a solution, and every challenge leads to a victory. Unfortunately, not everyone has the eyes to see.
So ensconced in the dramas we manufacture through our media, it can be exceedingly difficult for many to see the light. Many are unable to answer questions, solve problems, or find victories through challenges. For many of us, misery is our default mode.
But for those who are able, if we can rejoice in all of these supposed hardships and see beyond the limitations they seemingly create, we can see life for the adventure that it is. Opening up to the grander scheme of things, we can see a world rich in provisions, a world that is here for us to enjoy, and a world that is full of wonder. Being able to experience the world in such a way requires a measured blend of faith, hope, and love for life that not everyone is equipped with.
If you are capable of finding wonder in the world, the rest of us need you to do so. There are too many of us who live in misery as we are embroiled in drama. Most of us just need a good reminder that in spite of everything we manufacture that says otherwise, it really is a wonderful world.
I hope that when I perform this song, it reminds people of that.
