Today! Today! Today!

I've never cared much for the music of Neil Diamond. He looks greasy, and when I'm listening, I can't seem to shake the image of him singing the words. My skin crawls a little. I will switch the radio station if I hear his voice. Ironically enough, Neil's greasiness doesn't just irritate me in my car... now he's invading my workplace!

The latest craze is for the administration to blare "America" during our Monday morning assemblies. If we really examine the lyrics, this is a song about the immigrant's experience in coming to our country. So, yeah, there's an educational value in there that I'll reluctantly concede. I begin to listen with my arms folded.

At first, Neil's low, croaky voice discusses the difficult journey by land, sea, or air and motives for leaving a homeland behind. So far, I'm thinking that this song is impossible to sing to, but.... it has some kind of magic in it. I feel something. It's a phenomenon that I'll try my very best to describe here. It penetrates your skin without any real regard for whether, or not, your skin wants to be penetrated. It's a creeping infection.

The kids feel it too. They've come into the gym either groggy or wild. The energy is either completely lacking or scattered in a million and one directions. But as Neil's voice continues to belt out over the speaker, you can almost see the energy being harnessed... and even almost... focused.

The driving beat of "America" continues. The first verse gets the kids' (and adults') attention. Everyone awkwardly looks around at each other to see if what's happening to them is happening to anyone else in the room. And believe me, it is. Toes begin to tap uncontrollably. It's like watching a pebble gather speed as it falls down a mountainside.

Kids begin clapping to the beat. Adults cannot stop themselves from joining in. You may even feel your own rear end as it begins to move to and fro. It is unstoppable, joyful, musical craziness moving over the crowd.

BUT THEN.... THEN.... THE CHORUS COMES! The figurative rock is at its peak in tumbling speed. A mass of 400 people can't stop themselves from singing loudly in unison, "They're coming to America! They're coming to America! They're coming to America...... TODAY!"

I guarantee the person sitting to your left in the crowd is smiling. People are shouting at the tops of their lungs! "TODAY! TODAY! TODAY!"

For 4 minutes and 25 seconds, Monday is the best thing that ever happened to you. "America" is your favorite song, and Neil is definitely not so greasy.