Everyday People

Well, I've been searching YouTube for the last couple of days, looking for a video suitable for Union Day. I've been looking for something that is connected to the idea of 'unity'.

Unity means 'the state of being joined together as a whole' and a union' is 'a group formed by people with a common interest or purpose'. So, I wanted a video that expressed that togetherness and common interest.

I finally decided on this song called 'Everyday People', first released in 1968 by a band called Sly and the Family Stone. It's been rerecorded many times over the years by many different artists. When it was first released in November 1968, "Everyday People" was a plea for peace, for equality and for unity. In my opinion it is still relevant today.

We are all 'everyday people'. We all need to eat, drink, sleep, and make a living. We all do these things every day. This is our commonality (= the state of shared features or habits). But, so often we do not see that we are the same, instead we see the differences between us and then we judge.

It is this judging that gets in the way of unity. It is believing that 'we', our group is better or stronger or more beautiful, or more right that another group. It is these judgements that stop us joining together and having a common interest.

So, today is Union Day. So, just for today, try not to judge. Try not to see someone as Buddhist or Muslim, or Chin or Shan, or black or white, or old or young, or civilian or military, or male or female, or rich or poor, or right or wrong.

Just for today, try and see the other person as the same as you, just an everyday person. Enjoy the song. The lyrics are below.

Sometimes I'm right and I can be wrong My own beliefs are in my song The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then Makes no difference what group I'm in I am everyday people, yeah yeah

There is a blue one who can't accept the green one For living with a fat one trying to be a skinny one And different strokes for different folks And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo

Oh sha sha we got to live together I am no better and neither are you We are the same whatever we do You love me you hate me you know me and then You can't figure out the bag I'm in

I am everyday people, yeah yeah

There is a long hair that doesn't like the short hair For bein' such a rich one that will not help the poor one And different strokes for different folks And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo

Oh sha sha we got to live together There is a yellow one that won't accept the black one That won't accept the red one that won't accept the white one And different strokes for different folks And so on and so on and scooby dooby doo

I am everyday people