You can check out any time you like. But you can never leave…
Yesterday, Glenn Frey, co-founder of the 70s rock band The Eagles, died. I’ve always loved their music. Of their many popular songs, the one that stands out for me is “Hotel California”. It’s a haunting mystical song, with so many interpretations about what it means. The whole song is great, but it’s those last two lines that, for me, express a profound wisdom.
You can check out any time you like.
But you can never leave.
Over the years, those words have been a kind of spiritual anthem for me, with relevance in many situations. The essential message here seems to be that there is no escaping from our lives and its challenges, no escaping from what we are called to experience and learn. We may think we can hide or avoid some difficult or unpleasant situation, but ultimately, life will keep bringing us back to it, until we deal with it. Only then can we move on. In the bigger picture, perhaps there is no death or endings, but rather transformation into another form or person. There is also a sense of appreciation, gratitude and growth, as the past, present, and future interweave with each other. I think this is especially true with relationships and work. We keep leaving, and we keep coming back, like the Buddhist wheel. Though hopefully, we are a little bit closer each other time. To paraphrase another very popular rock lyric – it can feel like a “long, strange trip” (from Truckin’ by the Grateful Dead). My aim, though, is to enjoy the ride.