Hate or Love

Vocal: A Story of Hate or Love" It was a set stage, but with lights low, so the audience whispered so, silent and quiet, in anticipation they all slowly came. Vocal is known for singing in town; she appears on stage alone. Her heart-stopping voice can shatter or mend hearts as they whisper down.

But tonight, it was not just about melodies or words-it was more about a choice: a choice that would alter her life and the life of those close to her forever.

The Backstory

It hadn't come without scars: Vocal grew up in a town divided, marked out by lines of prejudice and distrust. Whispers called her mother's thick accent trash talk. Her father, a factory worker, struggled to protect their family from the bitterness that seemed to seep into every corner of their lives.

As a teenager, Vocal found solace in music. She sang her frustrations, her dreams, and her heartbreaks, her voice becoming a vessel for emotions she couldn’t express otherwise. When she finally made it to the stage, her songs became anthems for the downtrodden, but they also sparked resentment in those who preferred the status quo.

A Performance with Purpose

Tonight, she would sing two new songs, one born of hate, the other of love. The mayor of the town had invited her to sing at the unity gala, hoping her voice could bridge the chasm between feuding factions. Vocal had struggled for weeks with which song to end her set, as both carried a very powerful message.

The first, "Scars of Hate" was raw and fierce. It painted the pain inflicted by cruelty and division. It was truthful but searing, meant to wake people up to the damage they caused one another.

The second, "Arms Wide Open" was a gentle plea for healing and reconciliation. It showed pain but also hope-belief that love could ease even the deepest wounds.

As she stood on that stage weighing the decision.

The Choice

Vocal "Scars of Hate." This is how her voice went through the room, carrying those biting, aching notes and words that were lashing into the soul of prejudice and anger. Faces in the crowd turned somber; some looked away because they could not confront what she laid before them.

But before I could react, she suddenly cut into "Arms Wide Open." A mood-swelling drama again changed on a dime from a more biting set of chords to a gentle piano introduction which softened and invited. Her voice changed too, from raw power to soothing warmth.

The room seemed to exhale collectively as the lyrics of "Vocal" unfolded.

"We're not our past, but we're its echoes".

We are not our scars, but we still feel them. But with arms wide open, love can heal us, / If we're brave enough to try."*

By the close of the show no one in that auditorium was dry-eyed. Vocal had made her choice-not to ignore the fact of hate, but to propose instead love as the answer.

The Aftermath

The town was never the same that night. Where people for years had ignored each other, now they are speaking. Where neighbors had for years "glared over fences," now there is sharing of cups of coffee. And not every wound has been healed, but a seed of hope was planted.

For Vocal, it was the biggest performance ever, not because it was perfect but because it was real. She had proven to the town that hate and love were choices-and that only one of them could lead to a future worth singing about.

And so, her voice continued to echo, not just in the songs she sang but in the lives she touched.