Village Report | February 2024
February 1, 2024 | Jen Griffin, Vice President of Engagement
by Jen Griffin, Vice President of Engagement
One of my monthly “projects” is to ponder the month’s theme and craft an article incorporating that theme. Sometimes inspiration arrives swiftly. Sometimes the opposite happens. This month it was the latter!
Since February is traditionally a month where we celebrate love and compassion, you would have thought this would be easier for me to weave in “Heart of Gold” in my musings. My mind first went to Neil Young’s iconic song, “Heart of Gold” – a GREAT song. It surprised me to learn that song was his only #1 hit. But when I first read the lyrics, I was underwhelmed. It is such a good sounding song. I thought there must be some deep meaning there. Once I dug deeper about the meaning, BAM! The inspiration came! Here’s the scoop:
“Heart of Gold” is a poem about a man (perhaps Neil Young himself?) who feels like he is running out of time to become who he really wants to be. He feels like he’s gone through his whole life, but not had enough good things come out of it. He is looking for salvation—either someone or something—that can give him the treasure—metaphorical or actual—that he requires. (Noteworthy: He was 25 when he wrote this song.)
I find a common thread in our lives is the search for meaning. Whether in our personal lives or our professional lives, we want to make an impact. Our hearts are can be equated to precious metals, with gold standing out as the purest and most resilient. With that in mind, it seems to me that Neil Young, through his haunting voice and lyrics in this song, invites us to reflect on the significance of cultivating (or finding) a heart of gold in the face of life’s twists and turns.
The lyrics, “I’ve been to Hollywood, I’ve been to Redwood, I crossed the ocean for a heart of gold,” propose the idea that true wealth lies not in material possessions, but in the search itself and in the authenticity and purity of our hearts.
I think we can all agree it’s easy to become distracted in our busy lives. Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” gently reminds us that amidst our endeavors, it’s crucial to preserve the innate goodness that defines us. The search for a heart of gold – whether in ourselves or in others – is not a fleeting emotion but rather a commitment to empathy, understanding, kindness and generosity of spirit. It is that intangible quality we see and truly value, whether it is inside us or in others.
In the crazy world we are in now, we are starting to see “feel good” stories of kindnesses happening all over the world. That gives me hope. Each act of kindness, no matter how small, contributes to uplifting the collective consciousness. In my more global interpretation of Young’s lyrics again, to me “the search” is about our lifelong journey, our continuous quest for personal growth and the betterment of the world around us. With some exceptions, there is a desire in all of us to be better individually and collectively, to love more, and to leave an indelible mark on humanity.
So there you have it, February! Musings from Jen with a little help from Neil Young. Let’s embrace the heart of gold within ourselves and inspire others to do the same.
“Heart of Gold”
Written & Performed by Neil Young
I want to live
I want to give
I’ve been a miner
For a heart of gold
It’s these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
I’ve been to Hollywood
I’ve been to Redwood
I crossed the ocean
For a heart of gold
I’ve been in my mind
It’s such a fine line
That keeps me searching
For a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keeps me searching
For a heart of gold
And I’m getting old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
You keep me searching
And I’m growing old
Keep me searching
For a heart of gold
I’ve been a miner
For a heart of gold