And The Beat Goes On (Just Marching To A Different Drum)...

From the age of eight of so, I would sit in my brother David's vivid blue room and listen to "The Beat Goes On", the Sonny Bono version. Back then David was still a non-conformist with long hair, a VW Bug and very good taste in music. The mantra of "drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain" was somehow very comforting to me, living a chaotic childhood governed by Mum. Maybe, my eight-year-old self knew that that "this too will pass" and that phases of my life would come and go, but I would continue to grow and grab happiness and love with both hands.

This morning, I finally read the entire lyrics of "The Beat Goes On". I nearly fell off my chair. What an amazing song with such meaning. However, a very long time ago, as David's kid sister, I would just close my eyes, usually swaying to the music and escape my existence for a few minutes.

The discord of the last few weeks are ebbing away from the forefront of my psyche into a handy compartment of Less Importance. I have continued to be nurtured by friends and acquaintances, who believe in me as I am, not as some others would wish me. And special thanks are reserved for my beloved Michael. In spite of the fact that I prefer to be a rule-follower, to not rock the boat, Michael cheekily whispered to me - "go on, be a troublemaker when you need to be...". His words were the icing on my cake to renew my courage and commitment to that most Australian of attitudes, a fair go.

So, the beat will go on, but with more marching to our own drum. We love living in Heavenly Beverley, but there are still those who are unpleasant, obstructionist and self-centred to the detriment of others. Just like any other town or city. I was guilty of allowing those less than positive types into the forefront for a while and forgot those who genuinely care about us.

Thus endeth another lesson.

… The beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de, de, la de da de da

… Charleston was once the rage, uh huh
History has turned the page, uh huh
The miniskirt's the current thing, uh huh
Teenybopper is our newborn king, uh huh

… And the beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de, de, la de da de da

… The grocery store's the super mart, uh huh
Little girls still break their hearts, uh huh
And men still keep on marching off to war
Electrically, they keep a baseball score

… And the beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da d, e de, la de da de da

… Grandmas sit in chairs and reminisce
Boys keep chasing girls to get a kiss
The cars keep going faster all the time
Bums still cries, "Hey buddy, have you got a dime?"

… And the beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de, de, la de da de da

… And the beat goes on (Yes, the beat goes on)
And the beat goes on (And the beat goes on, on, on, on, on)
The beat goes on
And the beat goes on