The end

I'm sitting at my desk, contemplating the lyrics to The Doors' song "The End".

I realize that there are a couple of things about that statement that point out just how odd I am. First of all, I like The Doors, who are not particularly well-known for appealing to the general masses, but which of my favorites are? Then there's the fact that I'm sitting at my desk, contemplating lyrics. Put those two things together and prepare yourself for a strange trip. Even if you don't like The Doors, this'll be an interesting point, I promise.

Alright, so the song starts with this section:

This is the end, beautiful friend
This is the end, my only friend
The end of our elaborate plans
The end of everything that stands
The end

What I'm contemplating here is the difference in meaning, but remaining truth in the words if you just grouped them in a different way. The way that Jim Morrison sings them points out the ambiguity in the line breaks. If you haven't heard the song, it sounds kind of like this:

This is the end, beautiful friend
This is the end,
my only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans . . .

The line "my only friend, the end" is the one that's really got me thinking. It could be taken to be a very dark line, especially with the later part of the song with the killer who puts his boots on and then takes a walk through the house. Against the obvious approach to take the whole song as a single text to gather information on the theme and the tone of the song, I want to take a very focused look at this single section as if it were isolated from the rest of the song.

Since life is a constantly-changing stream of events, there's always an end around the corner and a corresponding beginning of something else. I know what you're thinking and I'll totally admit to being an optimist. I think I've even heard the term 'Pollyanna' used in reference to me.

Lately, things have been pretty rough, but in the very recent past, it's starting to look up. For me, then, saying that my only friend is the end is not a cry of desperation or some dark, depressed declaration. I feel like it's more a statement that change is coming, leading to a new beginning. A fresh start.

Now I'll put the question to you for your own introspection. What is coming to an end in your life? An end to putting off writing someone a note about how much you care? Are you going to quit smoking or put an end to the frozen meals you just heat up? There's a new beginning behind each of those ends and I'm sure you can find something else to change. This is your big chance! You can pick whatever you want to change rather than just waiting for life to roll the dice and pick your change for you.