Why?

There was a song playing the other day called "Why" by Stanton, Joan Georgiana / Whittaker, Roger. Which reminded me of being a child and hearing my mother playing it. The words I remembered quite well even though I had not heard it for many years.

How often do we hear "why"? Even from a young child - "why daddy?" - and the answer would be explained only to then be asked "but why?" Yes, certainly you have heard this. We hear ourselves say it time and time again when we hear of the latest set of crimes, tragedies, disasters on the news.

I remember at school a boy the same age as me was killed in an accident; my friend turned to me and asked "why him?".

I have heard many answers to this question ranging from the philosophical to religious, whether it be the law of cause and effect, Ying and Yang, God, Fate, because people are evil, it's because of the Government or this culture, that culture.

One verse from the song:

'Someone's lost the plan
For the brotherhood of man
And no one's trying to find it anymore.
And the winds become a sigh
For those who hate and those who die
And the waves are black and slow along the shore.'

In the above verse, one line rings particularly loudly; "and no-one's trying to find it anymore". Certainly it seems some people may have given up. The TV, radio and newspapers report constant reminders of people at their worst, or nature at it's worst.

Individual tragedies in life, traumas witnessed or experienced as one event or several over the years can cause us to ask "why?" and not have an answer; however, it is never wrong to ask, to question.

So how can some people, some groups, harness the question of "why" and not lose their hope, their unyielding resolve and belief that there is an answer? Some people have not given up the quest to answer the question "why".

Perhaps the question that has been asked, and will to continue to be asked is the wrong question? Perhaps the question is what can we do about it.

Often there is a need to look at why, in order to learn and develop our understanding, but it is equally important to asked the question what can I/we do. It may be on a personal level, or on a small level or grander level.

In the last verse:

‘Will the last word ever spoken be why?
Will the last word ever spoken be why, why, why?
Will the last word ever spoken be ..why?’

'Why’ by Stanton, Joan Whittaker, Roger.

I believe that why is only half of the question. The other part of the same question is what do we do about it?

The views expressed in this article are those of the author. All articles published on Counselling Directory are reviewed by our editorial team.

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