Since I was a teenager in the 1960s, one of my favorite musical groups was Simon & Garfunkel. One of their most popular songs was “I am a Rock”. Due to my Aspie traits, I was somewhat of a loner back then so this song just “spoke” to me. My mother had abandoned me a few years before, so that probably had something to do with it too.
The song is basically about a desire to avoid pain and heartbreak. In order to avoid being hurt by relationships, the subject of the song refuses to make friends or fall in love. Of course, this approach to life is very isolating and painful in itself. The last two lines are evidence that this way of living is more dreadful than the alternative of being hurt.
It would be several years before I fully understood that no one is an island and no one is especially a rock. But, it was kind of nice to think that others had gone through what I did during my turbulent teenage years. 🙂
It has been over thirty years since I last heard this song, but I still keep a copy of the lyrics along with many others and read them on a regular basis.
