#24 Blinded by the Light by Bruce Springsteen

We all reach a place in life, whether we’re aware of it at the time or can look back on it with clarity much later, when we are “blinded by the light”. Pressured by the inevitable outcome of growing older, we find ourselves in a place where choices have to be made, where something about ourselves and the world needs to be figured out.

Something tells us there’s more to life than what we’ve been shown and what we’ve been given. For some the need for a creative life comes at them like a “needle needs a vein” (U2). Trying to grab a hold of it is a messy, slippery process. For the most part of the process is a convoluted web threaded with confusion and experimentation.

As we “come of age”, we can sense the danger of missed opportunities on the horizon as we learn more and more about all of life’s possibilities. We follow the light even though we don’t know exactly what it is or where it’s taking us. We take chances. For some, they fall down and never get back up again, others find another way to chase the light, and for a fortunate few something brilliantly takes hold and they ride it to the grave. It’s exciting, it’s hopeful, but also confusing and lonely.

Even when we reach a better understanding of ourselves and life and choose a path to take, we realize there’s always more to figure out. The light never dies. It makes us chase it like a “runner in the night”. Never knowing which way to turn or where we’ll find ourselves when the light comes back out to play...but it’s a wild and beautiful ride. Set your eyes on the sun, and follow it down… “that’s where the fun [beauty, magic, mystery, promise, meaning, and a small taste of freedom] is”.

For Complete Lyrics Visit: http://www.brucespringsteen.net/songs/BlindedByTheLight.html