In 1971 the Coke jingle, “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” was released as a television commercial. It showed a group of people from all walks of life portraying a message of hope and love. The commercial came to be as Bill Backer, an advertising executive, was stranded over night in an airport with many “hotheaded” impatient travelers. He reported that the following morning those same angry people were talking, laughing, and joined in kindness; in that moment the idea was born. The commercial aired in many countries and was remade for many years. It is considered one of the best loved ads in television history.
I can’t help but to believe at our core that is who we are, people who want to join, connect, and share kindness in harmony. We are softened easily by tenderness. It is our natural inclination to outreach a hand to our fellow person. However, what I have learned about humans is that the things to which we are continually exposed to – are the things we eventually become.
Negativity and divisiveness are hurting us. Fear and hate provokes emotions that will surprise even the tenderest soul. So how did we get here; so far away from teaching the world to sing in perfect harmony? Perhaps instead of listening to words of anger, threat, and degradation, we could pull out that commercial and walk around singing…“I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony…”
t.duncan