2017 hasn’t been a good year, let’s face it, 2018 won’t be better.

After suffering internally for decades, seeking help, working hard, and greiving immensely, I’m still here.

I’m still here as a lot of other people in my life come to understand the position that we’re in as a species, to realize the challenges that threaten our survival.

This year Ben Howard’s music has helped me incredibly, in this post I wanted to present three songs from his album Every Kingdom (CD , Vinyl ).

Keep Your Head Up

First step of fighting this fight is to keep fighting it every day, no matter how hard it gets, no matter how despaired you feel. Take breaks as you need to, return when you can, but always keep fighting.

And I gave my eyes to the boredom
Still the seabed wouldn’t let me in
And I try my best to embrace the darkness
In which I swim

keep your head up
keep your heart strong
keep your mind set in your ways

The Fear

I have lived a life of fear, from a father that ensured I was not safe at home, a school system that was designed to discourage the questions I would ask, and most recently in a country under the control of a system designed to exploit the most it can out of its citizens, before abandoning their destroyed bodies.

The fear you and I feel every day, must not dictate how we behave, cannot be allowed to limit our reasoning or questioning. If we are trapped by our fears, we’ll never take down the system that induces them.

I been worryin’ that my time is a little unclear
I been worryin’ that I’m losing the one’s I hold dear
I been worryin’ that we all live our lives in the confines of fear

I will become what I deserve

Diamonds

None of us can do this alone, it’s only through collective action that we can take control of systems of power and re-focus our efforts on constructive efforts to ensure the survival and ultimately the rebirth of our species under collective action.

And all my demons, you said, come and go with a haze
Minds will too play
I grow old in my ways
Oh, just like you do.

Oh there ain’t no diamonds in the boredom
Oh there ain’t no darkness that I fear
Oh there ain’t no way to say I love you more

All I am is the bones you made for me
Just driftwood for the sea
Heavy as the horses, that carry me away

Keep On Going

The road ahead of each of us is something none of us are privy to, but it’s only through action, and as such only through ensuring the survival of yourself, and the result of your actions, that we can make change.