That’s What Bands Do

“We’re going to learn your song.”

“Why? – Because that’s what bands do. We play each other’s songs.”

–Mr. Schneebly, a.k.a. Dewey Finn, a.k.a. Jack Black – School of Rock

Our whole family loved watching the movie, School of Rock this week. We still can’t believe we’ve never seen it before. My husband was a rocker in high school, with long hair, earring and all. The first songs my son learned on his electric guitar were from ACDC. We love rock music, and we all have a bit of a “stick-it-to-the-man” edge in our personalities. So, it’s no surprise that we all loved this movie.

But my take-away lines were those above. I’ve never been a part of a band, but I think that’s just the most beautiful expression of showing love and respect within a group–to “play each other’s songs.”

You can think of this idea in relation to any group you are a part of – family, friends, book club, team, co-op, etc. The best way to show your love and respect is to take an interest in what is important to them–read their favorite books or poems, learn and participate in their hobbies and interests, or visit their favorite hang-outs or restaurants. That’s just what you do when you care.

That’s why we all go cheer for the boys when they have a soccer game, and why we go to the high school football game because we are staying with the family of the Center. That’s also why we feel so honored when friends join us in our geocaching exploits or quirky interests like Crazy Aaron’s Thinking Putty, Stop Motion, or Tom Bihn Bags.

Is this something that comes naturally for you, or is it something you have to work at? I think the more we do it, the deeper our relationships will grow because people will see we take a genuine interest in what they love and do. As a family, I think we do this pretty well, but this scene from the movie reminds me to continue to do it more and more.

How do you “play each other’s songs” in all of the relationships that are important to you? How can you do it better?