One

"One" from Achtung Baby meant a lot to me. I don't think I fully appreciated it when it came out, but I remember it making quite an impact on me a few years later....
It was the summer of 1995 and I was on the VBS/Church Ministry Summer Missions team with 6 other BSU college students. There were 5 girls and 2 guys; 2 of us were from Averett, 1 from Mary Washington, 1 from Clinch Valley, 1 from ODU, and 2 from William and Mary. To look at our credentials and backgrounds on paper, we looked like we'd be the perfect team. You know what's coming.... But....
We had a difficult time coming together as a cohesive unit at first. Think about it. You get 7 college students together, stick them in a van, and send them all over Virginia, most of the time either staying together or split up among 2 or 3 houses and there's bound to be friction. Especially when one of the teammates hadn't yet figured out how to be friends with members of the opposite sex without developing obsessive crushes on them (gee, I wonder who THAT was....;)).
I can only really speak to my struggles, and I was still trying to find my way as an independent person. I was 19, but not even CLOSE to being an adult. I was still VERY much an adolescent and, as much as I wanted to be a "big girl" and not be dependent on my parents for everything, I still very much was dependent on them and had a really hard time being apart from them so soon after my Freshman year, which had the same difficulties pretty much. Now, 16 years later, I can appreciate that it was frustrating for my teammates that I couldn't make decisions on my own, (What do you guys think? Ok! I think that way too!) but at the time I didn't care. I just felt like everybody hated me and I was the scapegoat as usual.
About halfway through the summer, I had decided, on my own believe it or not, that I was going to leave. That week was going to be my last with the team. I didn't really tell anybody, until the end of the week when our boss came up to mediate the 7 of us through what had been a really tough summer. I talked with Warren, and the 2 of us talked with my freaking out mom on the phone. Long story short, I made my decision and then told the guys. Nobody really said anything and I thought, "Well, see? I was right. Nobody cares and they all hate me. Peace out, see you on the flip side."
The 5 of us girls were staying together, and we got in the car to head "home." It was eerily silent. Then Chrissy said, "I know we, or I, don't always act like it, but if you left I'd really miss you and I'd be really sad" and burst into tears. We all sobbed for the rest of the drive home. As I got ready for bed, I popped my Walkman headphones on while I attempted to write in my journal. Achtung Baby happened to be in the Walkman and guess what song was on? Yep, it was "One."

One life, but we're not the same
Well, we hurt each other then we do it again...
And I can't keep holding on
To what you've got
When all you've got is hurt
One love
One blood
One life we've got to do what we should
One life
With each other
Sisters, brothers
One life, but we're not the same,
We get to, carry each other
Carry each other
One love.
One.

I can't really say that the song is what made me stay. I think it was more Chrissy's words... that she realized, "Hey, Beth doesn't think we love her and we DO!" I think we all realized that we all needed to let each other know that we loved each other, even if we didn't like each other all the time. That weekend, we went bowling as a break from being "responsible missionaries"and to have a little fun. I remember going to the jukebox (remember those things??) and playing One for the guys. I don't remember if we actually heard it together, but I paid for it anyway! LOL!
So anyway, now whenever I hear One, I think of Jill, Doris, Chrissy, Crystal, Chris, and Chris. Everytime.