It Is What It Is

Does the world around you worry you much? Is it really that bad?

While the world has its undeniable and very important problems, where are they when you walk out your door and look around? Have you ever noticed the world isn’t as dangerous as it seems on TV or social media? Does the world look the same to you when you leave your house as it did on the news?

I was having coffee one morning, and I had a little too much of the people I was with “talking politics”, something which I, as a humanitarian, do not engage in to any degree. But as I listened closer, I realized the “politics” they are talking about weren’t direct. They were forwarding arguments based on news or social media they had seen or heard. And it didn’t matter what side of the aisle they supported. Both sides were entirely obsessed with making sure there was danger to report.

If it’s the Left, it’s how racist and facist the world is becoming because of the Right. If it’s the Right, it’s about how the world is going to hell because the Left is destroying it. While these opponents disagree on EVERYTHING, they AGREE on one thing: they want you to believe the world is in DANGER!

So, my attitude has always been (upon hearing desperate reports of “Danger Everywhere”) something that, as a New Yorker, I have always said to such things: “It Is What It Is”. It’s a great attitude to take to feel better about things and move on with your life. Life is there to be enjoyed for the better things like art and aesthetics and helping others. Friendships and group activity, building instead of destroying. The world is NEVER as bad as it is made out to be.

Most people have interest in constructing, in creating, in building the world. Others have interest in tearing it down. Which ones constitute the majority? Let me not answer that for you. Look around for yourself and see which attitude is more abundant!

Out of this was born this song, which I went home and wrote after that fateful cup of coffee, and is my definitive statement on the best attitude to take when confronted with the onslaught of Danger Everywhere.

franksardella · It Is What It Is

It Is What It Is

I picked up a newspaper
for an interesting read
It drew me in with this headline
like those adverts in my feed
Suspends me in this mystery
“See page two for ‘Thousands Dead’”
Turn the page and found “In History”
is actually what it said
Well, I could whine and cry about it,
but will it change a thing? I doubt it!

Oh, it is what it is
It’s no more than hit or miss
It’s no existential story
and I never thought
that it would come to this
Not what it isn’t
but it’s sure not what it seems
Accept it is what it is
and it was always,
just how it’s gonna be!
just how it’s gonna be!

My phone lit up with comments
on the latest social stream
where everyone was tuning in
to hear her yell and scream
‘bout all of this injustice
that she’d heard but never’d seen
and how she was disgusted,
unwilling to intervene
She always whines and cries about it,
but will she change a thing? I doubt it!

Is what it is
It’s no more than hit or miss
It’s no existential story
and I never thought
that it would come to this
Not what it isn’t
but it’s sure not what it seems
Accept it is what it is
and it was always,
just how it’s gonna be!
just how it’s gonna be!

Divining logic is something you can’t do
from a few words of a fortunate few
who’s luxury of life without a clue
has got nothing to do with you