We Still Miss You, Neil Peart

Yesterday marked two whole years since Neil Peart's early and surprising passing. Devoted fans of the prog rock legends, Rush, and the best drummer this universe has ever seen, Neil Peart, was sucker-punched in the gut, and the hurt remains.

I try to think things like, at least Neil was spared the ongoing horror of?COVID-19. At least he isn't around to see the deepening divides between people worldwide.?

But we still wish he was here. And that Rush was planning a world tour for spring 2022. We'd all be there, singing our hearts out with tears streaming down our faces (certainly during?"Red Barchetta"?for one of my avid Rush fan friends). I listened to?"By-Tor"?yesterday at the gym and read the comments below it, many of which indicated this was the first song they revisited when Neil died.

Interesting, as it's always been one of my favorites. The epic story.?The Lifeson?solo. Geddy's deep, ominous tones. And, of course, spine-tingling drumming from Neil. It's a classic Rush piece, one I might play for my Generation Z college students who listen?almost exclusively to "rap" (and not?Beastie Boys and Wu-Tang rap). [If you're a Gen Z-er reading this, calm down and listen to some Rush.]

The lyrics of Rush, written almost entirely by Neil, continue to be a gold mine of insights into human nature for me. It's no surprise Alex and Geddy called Neil "the professor." In a parallel universe, Neil is a distinguished professor of?philosophy?somewhere, and his students adore him.

His lyrics definitively shaped my philosophical thinking about who humans are, most essentially, the dark and the light both recognized and accepted. They made me wonder about other worlds and other possible realities, literally forging new?neural?connections in my brain, making me more curious and imaginative.

Their albums produced between 1974 and 1981 (my favorite epoch of Rush) gave me enough to wonder about for the rest of my life. I wonder what Neil would be writing about today if he were still alive.

Neil is gone, and Rush, as we knew them, are no longer. But we're all so fortunate for having experienced this once-in-a-universe phenomenon. Neil's sounds and words live on. "Rest in peace" sounds nice, but for Neil, I prefer?"revel in ecstasy." You gave us so much meaning and jubilation and wonder.

Thank you, Neil. xoxo