PASSAGE....

This video gets to me every time I watch it, doesn't matter how many times. Freaking fantastic hot mess of a dance. And the crux of the meaning is pretty simple.

To be in a burning room is to be in an emergency situation that calls for immediate evacuation. That is the nature of this couple's relationship...one that's more than just bad - actually going down in flames. To me - she's numb. In an emotional state that is dead after being disappointed over and over and over again. He's a bit of a manipulator/instigator. There's definitely some nice co-dependency happening too. If they were wolverines, these two would probably be gnawing each other's legs off.

It sucks to feel dead, I think. I know what it's like. I don't ever recommend it. If you can, it's better to choose the nice lively alternative - the one that includes flutes playing and trombones and flowers and garlands of fresh herbs. Possibly a talented family band.

I was discussing this yesterday with a girlfriend over coffee. Why do we get stuck spinning our wheels in unhealthy relationships? What is it that keeps us hanging on to something so clearly toxic? This couple is clearly not all together with it. Maybe they both got tragically mishandled as babies and dropped too many times. Maybe it's the Agent Orange. I don't know.... I think though, that if a room were on fire, you would do everything in your power to get the hell out and save you life. MAYBE, if it's on your path out the door you might grab the family photo album because you know you could get left with jack after all the cinders die down. Even the cat gets left behind sometimes. Point is, if someone cries "FIRE!!", you bail. You bail fast. The very very last thing you would do in this kind of situation would be to walk over to the record player, drop down a nice Sinatra and slow dance.

I guess I understand why. Clues in the song lyrics: "I was the one you always dreamed of/You were the one I tried to draw...you're the only light I ever saw" Obviously there's deep attachment in any of these situations. Clearly some affection. And I guess there's something to be said about really hoping things were different, or rather, being in enough denial that you could do down with the fire and never have known better. And that's a little tragic too.

Nothing changes at the end. He's still clinging on, she's still a zombie. I'd sure like to give one of them the gift of goodbye.