A single purpose

Dr Fahim Chand | Monday May 19, 2025 07:59

I’ve gone over the plan, chosen what to wear, replayed the moment in my head. The air feels different now, charged with something I can’t quite name. As I step outside, there’s only one thought: it’s finally time. I’ve been waiting for this. Summer hums with anticipation, a season thick with the promise of adventure, laughter, and moments that etch themselves into memory. Winter’s icy grip is now just a distant echo, and the weight of school has lifted, if only briefly.

I do a final check: my Marithé and François Girbaud jeans, ice-pink Ralph Lauren polo with the pale blue logo, and black loafers, my chosen armour for the day. I slide into the driver’s seat and ease onto the still-sleepy roads.

This was a different world, before Google Maps, when navigation depended on memory, instinct, and the occasional missed turn. If traffic loomed unexpectedly, there was no notification, just a deep breath and a twist of the volume knob, letting the music carry you through the pause.

The roads were unusually clear that morning, and I glided toward my destination with ease. As I turned off the ignition and stepped out, the front door of the house swung open before I’d even closed mine. It wasn’t just me, anticipation buzzed in the heat of the summer air.

Brent Groh and Damon Shareski greeted me with wide smiles, the kind that signalled something good was coming. Inside, we exchanged a few warm words with Brent’s parents before setting off, the energy between us electric.

We piled into the car, hearts racing, laughter already bubbling at the edges. A playlist was carefully chosen, music to fuel the miles ahead and lock this day into memory. A soundtrack, after all, turns moments into stories.

We hit Highway 400 South, setting our course for the city affectionately known as the Six. Toronto, for the uninitiated. With beats pulsing through the speakers, we talked like only high schoolers can: music, girls, sports, each topic more animated than the last.

The car was filled with noise, joy, and the unmistakable sound of three close friends in the midst of making memories that would never fade. We pulled into the Yorkdale shopping centre parking lot, nerves buzzing, and hopped on the subway toward our long-awaited destination. When we surfaced from the underground, the city pulsed with electricity. The crowd was thick, moving as one current toward a single purpose. Youth was everywhere, glowing skin, bold fashion, effortless cool. It felt good to be young, untethered.

We flashed our tickets and stepped into Maple Leaf Gardens, hearts pounding, finally here. Tears for Fears awaited. The lights dim, a hush sweeps the crowd. My breath catches as Roland and Curt step forward, shadows becoming legends. The first notes of Mad World echo, haunting, familiar.

A collective shiver runs through us. Time suspends. Every voice around me holds its breath, then joins in reverent harmony. This isn’t just a song, it’s a shared memory unfolding. As I looked around, all of us were singing with joy, our voices filled with unencumbered hope and youthful optimism.

We were blissfully naive, unaware of the stresses that waited beyond the music, and the quiet responsibilities that life would one day reveal. Yet the title Mad World, today aptly describes our current situation.

Life’s stresses are everywhere as we try to negotiate our way forward. We wonder how we can cope and remain healthy to live a fulfilled existence. Perhaps Dr. Robert Waldinger can offer some clarity.

A psychiatrist, researcher, and director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest-running scientific study of adult life. Waldinger has spent years unraveling the mystery of what makes life not just long, but deeply fulfilling. I’ve touched on this study in past columns, but a return feels timely, especially with recent revelations.

Waldinger and his team were stunned by the findings: the strongest predictor of a long, healthy life wasn’t diet, exercise, or wealth, it was the quality of our relationships. The warmth of our connections, it turns out, matters more than we ever imagined.

But why? The leading theory suggests that close, positive relationships buffer us from stress and its destructive impact on the body. In other words, human connection isn’t just emotionally nourishing, it may be the most powerful medicine of all.

As I fondly look back on that unforgettable weekend with Brent, Damon, and 16,000 fellow concertgoers, with Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith commanding the stage, it was so much more than just music.

It was a symphony of memory, friendship, and youthful freedom. In those moments, singing, laughing, feeling alive, we weren’t just making memories; we were nourishing our bodies, lifting our spirits, and feeding something deeper: the soul.