Hello World - It Begins with You

It's been a while since a song connected with me the way John Legend's If You're Out There did (it became a theme song for our 2008 PASC State Conference). That song was powerful by itself but tied into the experience of planning and experiencing that conference, it moves me every time.

Recently though, "Positive Power" Chad Koontz pointed out Hello World by Aloe Blacc and I keep listening to it over and over. Again, the song is powerful alone. It's filled with similar themes as If You're Out There and has these vocals and rhythms that just pull you in - you can't ignore the song.

As an educator, I connect to the message about potential, about making the most of life and about the power of relationships. The video was effective, using basic stereotypes and common perceptions to shade the lyrics of the song in a slightly different direction.

Hello world, the past is over
It's time for us to come together and make the future right

And

Hello world, the sun is rising
It doesn't matter who you are, the sun still sets the same
Hello world, undivided
Don't matter if you win or lose, it's how you play the game 

[Chorus]
The world is ours
The world is ours
Seven billion stars

Starting another school year brings one meaning to the song and then watching the events in Ferguson adds even greater urgency to the feelings it stirs.

So to all who remember: Origins, It Begins with You... Vision, Character, Change.