PROCEED WITH CAUTION

“Cause nobody wants to be the last one there
Cause everyone wants to feel like someone cares
Someone to love with my life in their hands
There's gotta be somebody for me like that
Cause nobody wants to do it on their own
And everyone wants to know they're not alone
There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there”- Nickelback

The lyrics of this song, “Gotta Be Somebody” have touched me deeply. This is Nickelback’s latest single release in anticipation of the November album release of Dark Horse. When I first heard it on XM radio, I instantly recognized the vocals of lead singer Chad Kroeger, as Nickelback is one of my favorite bands and their music has been the soundtrack of my life for the past three years.

I think the words of the song are meaningful on so many levels. Every human person on this planet longs to be connected to someone or something greater than themselves. We were not created to exist as a singular unit; we need people to be woven into our lives in some way. Studies have shown that individuals who are in relationships are healthier and live longer than those who are charting life alone.

Chad mentions in the refrain that “nobody wants to be the last one there”. You can see this really clearly in the adolescent years of life, as kids struggle to place themselves in groups or cliques to have that sense of belonging and to bring order to their world. No one wants to be perceived as the loner, the friend-less, the loser.

This continues into adulthood and with the advent of social networking, the internet and extremely busy lives, we turn to our computers to help us find that voice in the dark to call us out of our loneliness. With the entire virtual world at our fingertips and within sight of our webcams, we can truly find the soul out there that connects completely with our own. That person who completes us in such a way that we could spend an eternity with them:

“There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere
There's gotta be somebody for me out there…”

Today, we aren’t limited by the relationships and friendships forged in school, or by the water coolers of American corporations or even by our community and volunteer involvements. Due to the infinite reach of the internet we have the ability to get in touch with a wider audience from around the world, increasing exponentially the chances that someone’s attribute combination will measure up to be the best connection with our own.

This reaching out into the virtual darkness belies inherent danger. As with anything involving the potential for anonymity, there is risk that the person on the other side of cyber space is not truly who they say they are or at best are misrepresenting portions of their personality or character.

Do we take a risk to achieve a sense of belonging- to find love and companionship? If so, then proceed with caution………………………