I am a teen of the '80s. I have been very vocal about that and my love for '80s music., especially if it was crooned by a gender-ambivalent, heavily accented boy from the U.K. So in 1984, my 13 year old self could NOT get enough of this song -- sorry, Mom and Dad.A collection of my rock gods came together --Paul YoungBono (before sunglasses & Oprah)George Michael (before we knew he didn't play on my team)Boy George (even at 13, I always knew he didn't play on my teamSimon Le BonSting (before Disney)and many others... to form Band-Aid. It was a mega band brought together to raise  money for those suffering the famine in Africa.Now it would be easy to think that this album had meaning solely because half of my teenage girl fantasies were represented and it had a catchy tune. But really there was so much more. This song made a huge impression on me about the power of art and people coming together in the name of others.When these guys sang "feed the world", I believed that we could do it. Like anyone owning a TV in the early 1980s, I had seen the horrible and painful pictures of starvation in Ethiopia. I had felt helpless. What could a teen in Texas do to help all those starving kids?I had a naivete back then. It did feel like something to head out to the Sound Warehouse and buy an album. And indeed, I did. I watched this video on MTV and I cried and dreamed of the day I would change the world. Because that was the gift that Band-Aid gave me. It gave me a vision that the evils of the world could be corrected if only we came together.Unfortunately, one song cannot save the world. New troubles come and go and it is easy to feel that there are no solutions. I can't accept that, however. Maybe it's lingering teenage activism, maybe it's stupid optimism in face of fact, I don't know. But all these years later, I believe that most people are good. I believe that we can do good. I believe that the we can feed the world. We can stop all the wars. And we can live in peace. It won't be a group of English pop stars that make it happen, however. It will be you and me. It will be the millions of you-s and me-s coming together to change the world. Do you believe it? Even 28 years later, when I hear this song, I do.

Are you with me?

It's Christmas time,there's no need to be afraid.At Christmas timewe let in light and banish shadeAnd in our world of plentywe can spread a smile of JoyThrow your arms around the worldat Christmas time.But say a prayer,Pray for the other ones.At Christmas time it's hardbut when you're having fun...There's a world outside your windowand it's a world of dread and fearWhere the only water flowing isthe bitter sting of tearsWhere the Christmas bells that are ringingare the clanging chimes of DoomWell, tonight thank God it's them instead of you.And there won't be snow in Africa this Christmas timeThe greatest gift they'll get this year is life.Ohh....Where nothing ever growsNo rain or rivers flowDo they know it's Christmas time at all?Here's to you...Raise a glass for everyoneHere's to themUnderneath that burning sunDo they know it's Christmas time at all?Feed the world...Feed the world...Feed the world,Let them know it's Christmas time again.Feed the world,Let them know it's Christmas time again.(Thanks, elyrics.)Check out my Advent Calendar here.