I have been told I am a Romantic.
As I have studied the Romantics and their beliefs and literature I have personally found that I tend to agree with many of their ideas. Definitely not all of them, not by any means. In fact, so greatly have I differed from some of the Romantic ideas that I have, to an extent, refused all association. On the other hand, I have been told that I am a Romantic by an admirable friend who is more experienced on this sort of thing than I ever can hope to be, so, therefore, I am a Romantic.
Do not confuse being a Romantic with being a romantic. I am not a romantic.
This can be troublesome at times.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
The Old Violin
Antique shops are wonderful places. They are filled with a sort of magic of the distant past, and contain the lives of many people and histories of cultures. Most things in an antique shop are outdated, broken, or generally unusable. Not that you'd really want to use most of the things you can find.
There is, however, one thing that kills me to find in an antique shop. I hate finding violins.
As a violin player myself, I tend to have a personal connection with the instrument. Each one has its own personality and story. The older they are, the better. I believe it's because they have seen much more and are able to give the music played on them a rich tone filled with sorrow, happiness, and years of history that shaped them carefully into the beautiful and delicate instruments they are today. Every time I see an old violin my breath is caught in the wonder at the years and years that the violin must have survived.
Some of these better, more well made violins are sold for millions and played by masters.
Some of them, sadly, end up broken and dusty in the back corner of a shop.
That's what makes me die a little every time I see a violin in such condition. It could have been anything in the past. It may have been some child's first instrument, leading them to become a great artist. It could have been an instrument used to bring some comfort to the sick or elderly with sweet songs. It could have been nothing at all, hardly touched, but full of the potential to become anything.
But over the years, it just sits in an attic, its strings becoming brittle with neglect, the carefully polished and formed wood warping with the damp and cold, the body slowly graying with dust.
A pleasing sight to a Romantic. A cringe-worthy scene to me.
Violins are like wine. But we don't treat them the same.
There is, however, one thing that kills me to find in an antique shop. I hate finding violins.
As a violin player myself, I tend to have a personal connection with the instrument. Each one has its own personality and story. The older they are, the better. I believe it's because they have seen much more and are able to give the music played on them a rich tone filled with sorrow, happiness, and years of history that shaped them carefully into the beautiful and delicate instruments they are today. Every time I see an old violin my breath is caught in the wonder at the years and years that the violin must have survived.
Some of these better, more well made violins are sold for millions and played by masters.
Some of them, sadly, end up broken and dusty in the back corner of a shop.
That's what makes me die a little every time I see a violin in such condition. It could have been anything in the past. It may have been some child's first instrument, leading them to become a great artist. It could have been an instrument used to bring some comfort to the sick or elderly with sweet songs. It could have been nothing at all, hardly touched, but full of the potential to become anything.
But over the years, it just sits in an attic, its strings becoming brittle with neglect, the carefully polished and formed wood warping with the damp and cold, the body slowly graying with dust.
A pleasing sight to a Romantic. A cringe-worthy scene to me.
Violins are like wine. But we don't treat them the same.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Figure it Out
These past few days I have had an interesting argument with my good friend. Some how, he has come to the belief that King Hamlet tells his son to act mad in order to avenge him. Of course, being the die-hard Shakespeare fan I am, I knew for a fact that this was in no way the truth.
After several blunt and rather forceful arguments, I managed to pull out one major problem.
"Did you actually ever read the speech?" I asked.
"Well, not all of it," he admitted.
It was at this point that I was fairly disgusted.
he had be firmly arguing a point that I had reviewed several times and knew as a fact, and yet he based his argument on something that someone else had said.
Really??
Of course, I advised him to never argue something like that without figuring it out on his own first. But still, the point remains that too often people take too firm of a stance on ground unfamiliar to them. And of course, even if proven wrong, their pride (and possibly shame) will prevent them from ever accepting defeat or attempting to allow truth to pull down their defenses so that they can become more informed and an asset to society. This can easily be applied to any situation. especially comments on the internet, a connection which is often ironically pointed out several times a day.
people need to start figuring out things for themselves. I have been forced to several times, and being able to rely on judgement and experience rather than having to run crying to someone else had been a blessing in my life.
If only...
After several blunt and rather forceful arguments, I managed to pull out one major problem.
"Did you actually ever read the speech?" I asked.
"Well, not all of it," he admitted.
It was at this point that I was fairly disgusted.
he had be firmly arguing a point that I had reviewed several times and knew as a fact, and yet he based his argument on something that someone else had said.
Really??
Of course, I advised him to never argue something like that without figuring it out on his own first. But still, the point remains that too often people take too firm of a stance on ground unfamiliar to them. And of course, even if proven wrong, their pride (and possibly shame) will prevent them from ever accepting defeat or attempting to allow truth to pull down their defenses so that they can become more informed and an asset to society. This can easily be applied to any situation. especially comments on the internet, a connection which is often ironically pointed out several times a day.
people need to start figuring out things for themselves. I have been forced to several times, and being able to rely on judgement and experience rather than having to run crying to someone else had been a blessing in my life.
If only...
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