Dancing when it seems you shouldn't

Don't mind the fact that I said 'you' in the title. It's actually me. But I want to hope that I'm not the only one who does that.

When I first heard Angelique Kidjo and Joss Stone's remix of 'Gimme shelter', I couldn't help myself, I danced (no, I don't want to go into details about my retro dance steps). But when I really settled down to think about it, I realised the contradiction. The song is actually about supporting people in a war-torn area.

Do you see what I mean?

But, it didn't take me long to realise that it was a good contradiction.

Let me explain myself. The most contemporary world-wide bad news is that of the tsunami in Japan. It's really a sad affair.

So what do we do? What can we do? At least we weren't directly affected. I mean, come on, mate, everyone knows that we are helpless against all these disasters. It has happened, it has happened, right? Right? If these views are right, then, my dancing is justified in a sense.

But, that wasn't the explanation I got from the experience of my 'inappropriate' dancing. The explanation I got was that I (and all of us) can do something to help those in need. Whether it is the limping dog across the street (make sure it isn't rabid) or the family who has lost their home to an unforeseen disaster in Timbuktu. It could be in form of sending money to support victims of the Japan tsunami, or working a shift for your colleague whose child is ill, or praying with and counselling that friend of yours who lost her parent, or... the list is endless.

We can actually help to ameliorate the extent of damage.

Listen to 'Gimme shelter' and dance with abandon, taking home the lesson that even when disater hits far or close to home, you can contribute your quota in making sure its effects on survivors are minimised. 

P.s. I'm sure many of you must have listened to the song before. It was released about four years ago, but I just discovered it this year!