How It Is - Honoring Neil Peart
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by Debra Ross, publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Last week, Neil Peart, the lyricist and drummer of the Canadian rock band Rush for over 40 years, died of brain cancer at the age of 67, and so hundreds of thousands of us are mourning the loss of a man we never met but nevertheless loved. Neil's lyrics are mostly about how to live well during our limited time on earth, and his songs have been lifelines for at least two generations.
For many years, Rush was known as a nerd's band: The melodies, beat, and lyrics were more complex than almost anything else out there in the music world, and they engaged the brain as much as the heart.
One of the very best things about watching kids grow is seeing them start to gather up what they love. Binkies, teddy bears, superheroes, books, fashion, trains, Barbies, karate, baseball, Minecraft, Taylor Swift, Post Malone... what your children love at any moment is a reflection of who they are right then. The more things they love, the more complex they become as they grow into their unique selves, and the things they love best become lifelong passions. When you make light of what someone loves, especially if they have lost what they love, you stomp a bit on their soul.
We don't choose what we love, you know. Neil knew this and wrote about it often. You can't tell yourself how to feel, it's just how it is. So make sure that when your kids love something, you tread gently.
My best advice, this week, is to be kind to everyone you encounter. Odds are they're a Rush fan, or have loved something, or have lost something.
—Debra Ross, publisher For fellow fans: Is there a Rush lyric or song that has meant the most to you over the years? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. |
So part of being a Rush fan, at least in the '70s, '80s, and '90s (especially for us girls), was deflecting the strange looks and snide comments of those who didn't understand why we loved it so much and why the guys in the band—Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart—have been so close to our hearts for so many decades.
One of my Rush-loving friends said that maybe I should use my column this week to "Explain to all the mothers out there why all the fathers are crying." It's rhetorically tempting to say that those who don't like Rush can't possibly comprehend the extent of the grief that has enveloped this community. But of course everyone has lost something they have loved profoundly. Just tap that part of yourself, and you'll understand.