But …. Do they?
Sure, Paula Abdul sang the song “Opposites Attract”, but do they?
Let’s think about magnets. Yes, these opposites do indeed attract.
But not only do the opposites attract, the same like polls will actually push away from each other.
The other day I was driving, it was just me and the radio.
Oh, and my thoughts.
How scary is that?
And did I mention I was also on my 2nd 20oz cup of WaWa coffee.
Two songs came on, in a row, and these songs could not be more different.
While the music itself was cool, they both had a certain sway about them, it was the subject matter that was completely different.
The songs were about two different people. And these two people could not have been more opposite.
And here’s where my mind kind of went off the deep end.
My God ….. what if these two people met, in real life.
Remember the A-Ha video, “Take on Me”, where this Norwegian singer stepped out of the pages of a comic book about race cars and appeared in real life? Well, what if these two main characters magically appeared from their songs and became real people, and then met each other?
I bring to you, Josie and Bruce
*Side Note 1 – I know that “Bruce” isn’t actually the person in the song. It was originally a made-up word, “Groos” that Jeff Lynne of ELO used, but the audience started singing “Bruce” and Jeff Lynne ran with it and started using the word, “Bruce” instead of the placeholder word, “Groos” – so I’m going with that.
Steely Dan sings about Josie, and put simply, Josie is a rock start before there were rock stars created by social media.
When Josie walks down the street, everything feels better and everyone feels happier. Everything is brighter and people are more alive.
Josie is super cool the way a thunderstorm is super cool. You sense it. You feel it around you. You hear the rumble of the distant thunder before you see her, and when she finally arrives, she changes the entire atmosphere of everything around her. Josie makes everything instantly better, it’s as if even the sidewalks have been there for years just waiting for her footsteps. People lean out of their windows just to catch a glimpse. Old boyfriends who thought they were over her, suddenly realize they are not, and they question themselves about why in the world did they do her wrong.
Friends who thought they were doing okay realize maybe they aren’t, and Josie is just what they need to get them back on the positive track.
But Josie isn’t flawless, she isn’t perfect – that’s not what makes her the kind of cool she is.
Josie’s coolness is in the chaos, the laugh that comes out of no where. The way she turns any ordinary day or night into something to remember.
Steely Dan knew it – when Josie comes home, it’s like their entire world stopped and Josie carried the entire neighborhood with her.
And then there’s Bruce ……
When the whole room is lit, music playing, everyone dancing, spirits high and then one person decides to kill the vibe. Bruce doesn’t even have to say a word. It’s his mere presence that brings everyone “down”.
See, “Don’t bring me Down” tells you that joy and happiness is fragile.
The choice is always there: be the spark that sets things on fire or be the blanket that suffocates the flame.
The world is heavy enough and we carry a lot of weight on our shoulders, but Bruce is the guy that when he sees you struggling with that weight on your shoulders, he’ll pile on that extra rock to make sure you stay down.
What’s the deal with Bruce?
Is he just an unhappy person?
Was Bruce possibly jilted by a girl and left bitter at the thought of never finding true love?
And in his bitter world, does he want to bring other down with him?
Is he can’t have happiness, then no one should?
But what if – WHAT IF – Josie and Bruce met.
Maybe Bruce just needs Josie in his life.
Okay – see, here’s the scenario that I thought of:
After “Josie” and “Don’t Bring Me Down” a third song came on, “I Love Rock and Roll” by Joan Jett.
*Side Note 2 – this radio station was on fire.
Okay – queue the scene, the party is jumping, music is loud, people are dancing. It’s a Friday night and after a long week, people are happy just being happy and the vibe is electric, all except Bruce. Bruce is standing there by the record machine with his now warm beer, just staring at the crowd of people having fun. Deep down, Bruce wants to join in – but he can’t. Bruce is just “down”.
Bruce is held back by his own inhibitions and his own cloud of doubt and uncertainty.
He considers leaving. But he doesn’t. Bruce is lonely, but he doesn’t know it.
But just then Josie walks in.
Josie appears wearing vivid glowing colors when the rest of the room seems black and white. The crowd slightly parts allowing the dancing Josie easy entrance.
Slapping high fives to strangers, guys appearing out of the crowd to spin her around and the room gets even louder.
Just then, as it always does, the record skips and gets stuck.
The entire room stops and turns and there he is, Bruce, standing there by the record machine, and Josie knew he must have been about 17.
Bruce heard the record skip and now he sees the entire room staring at him.
So with his lukewarm beer in one hand, he brings his other hand down and strikes the jukebox and fixes the skipping record.
And Josie doesn’t miss a beat, she laughs and shouts, “That’s my guy!!!” – and just like that, the whole party is alive again and Bruce maybe felt a little weight lift off his shoulders.
I guess we all need a Josie in our life to light the fire, and I guess we all need a little Bruce too, to keep us grounded. But ease up Bruce, keep us grounded yes, but don’t kill the vibe.
Do Bruce and Josie become a thing?
I don’t know – you’ll have to read more posts in BecauseJimSays.
Jeez, I sure am glad the next song wasn’t “Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”.
My Take on Life and Events 