Thursday 26 September 2013

Bonfire Heart

“Everybody wants a flame, but they don’t want to get burnt
And today is our turn

Days like these lead to
Nights like this leads to
Love like ours
You light the spark in my bonfire heart
People like us, we don’t need that much
Just someone that starts, starts the spark in our bonfire hearts”

Bonfire Heart – James Blunt

While we are growing up we are often told we can do anything we want to and we easily believe our parents or teachers who encourage us to dream of doing great things. It’s not uncommon to think about a life for ourselves where people across New Zealand and indeed across the world will know our name. Whether we dream of being singers or actors, politicians or humanitarians, we dream of a world in which we made a significant change in the public’s eye and impacted the lives of many, many people.

Of course, as we grow older it becomes apparent only a handful of people can ever become those who everyone knows. As a young twenty something I know there are still many years ahead of me in which I could become part of that small handful. I doubt I’d break through as a singer or actor (mostly due to a lack of talent in those areas), but maybe I’ll be a famous writer one day, or perhaps by chance fall in love with someone famous (like Ryan Gosling).  As I think about this world in which I could be a part of, I wonder if I need such a complication in my life. You constantly read about how difficult it can be to live in the public eye where everyone wants a piece of you.

I wonder if all I need is someone, or a small group of people who make me feel happy and accepted in the world. This is what Bonfire Heart makes me think about; whether I need everyone to know my name, or just one person who can light a spark in my life. While it would be nice to have money, expensive assets and famous friend, but I wonder whether I need it. The line “people like us, we don’t need that much” stood out for me as I quite like the idea of a more simple life where I don’t need much apart from a bit of love.


Don’t think I am discouraging people from following dreams to become famous or be a person who makes a change, nor saying being successful and having a spark in your life are mutually exclusive. Rather, I encourage some thinking from you, and especially those around my age who are embarking on the big bad world, to find their flame without getting too burnt. 


1 comment:

  1. Fantastic piece, Renee. Living a life of abundance without ego and competition. Love you lots, girl.

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