We continue our journey with the conclusion that music deserves its rightful place in the curriculum standing proudly and boldly beside all other subjects. In our justification, we have established: 1) the human need for music, 2) the comparison to other subjects, 3) the academic discipline of musical knowledge, and now we will discuss emotion and economics.
Addressing the emotional benefits of music is difficult due to its inherent subjectivity and personal abstract properties. When we discuss emotions, we tend to relegate the discussion to our own selfish inclinations of reactions rather than attempting to deal with emotions in a broader, collective sense. But rather than trying to separate the two, let us assume that individual emotions can be transferred to group emotions. The idea being that the way a person reacts to a certain sound would be at least similar to how many people react to the same sound. This makes music and the study of emotions to be market driven to an extent. An unwanted sound would not be sought after and therefore would have no consumer interest; whereas, a desirable sound is embraced by the collective whole and takes on a level of mass interest.
This ultimately makes music, just like any other endeavor, to fall into the age old theory of supply and demand. Let us look at a specific example: the serpent--a defunct musical instrument from the Renaissance period. Although it has made a revival of sorts in the past few years, for the most part this instrument did not withstand the test of time. Time did not embrace it and the people did not demand it. It was replaced with a superior instrument--the ophecleide which was eventually replaced by the modern tuba. And it stands to reason, that at some point in the future, another new and better instrument may indeed replace an instrument currently in use. This means that music making in its multitude of forms is pliant and dependent at least to an extent upon the masses that demand it.
But let us return to the emotional benefits. Although Plato may indeed have rejected music for his city due to unwanted emotions, in contrast Aristotle encouraged the study of music for the benefits of the complete person. Further, Aristotle believed that humans needed to purge themselves of emotions and that music provided an outlet for this catharsis. Catharis is process of cleansing of the emotions that pervade and threaten to overtake us in a multitude of ways. Much has been written about emotions and their role in the human psyche and it would require an excursis of considerable length to explain how music becomes not only the arm but in fact the repository of emotions. Even that, however, is not enough, for music also serves as the manifestation and voice (often literally) for the individual disposition that make up who we are and who we can be. Music then is not only an outlet in its cathartic role, but is also a necessary instrument for the broadening and application of the human spirit.
I am often both chagrined and joyous at the tremendous amount of styles and types of music that exist on our planet in so many multifaceted ways. It is difficult to codify and then educate a topic that is infinite in its components and comprehensive in its delivery; but as music educators, that is the very thing we attempt to do. Then we apply the elements meaning and use that meaning to cleanse, charge, and communicate expression, feelings, and finally all those unspoken and misunderstood but certainly real and alive emotions.
The market, whether for better or worse, determines the value through the human response to the sound. In the end, while music may indeed be a natural occurrence and sound, no matter how it is organized may be inevitable, it is the response to the sound and to the music that gives it meaning. Globally, musical is universal and collective, far ranging with wide application. Individually, music is personal and intimate, with benefits for the spirit and the soul. Music makes us weep, makes us laugh, makes us angry, joyful, elated, meditative, aggressive, passive, and music makes us who we are and who we want to be. We may not always treat it right, and we may not always understand it, but thanks be to God for the existence of music.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Friday, March 16, 2007
Music--A Human Need, Pt. III
In Part I, we discovered how sound exists in nature, how sound articulates into music, and how humans need music for existence. In Part II, we discussed the role and challenge of music in the curriculum as compared to other subjects. Now let us deal with why music should be in the curriculum.
As a basic human need, music is not quite as necessary as food, clothing, shelter. Little argument there for sure. Yet, as has been established, it is still a vital human need and a regular part of everyday life. But college curricula does not educate the basic human needs. There are no classes on building houses, or cooking, or making clothes. Those skills are acquired through practice and perhaps through some sort of craft oriented class. The college curriculum may allude to the skills needed for successful farming or the economics of the clothing industry, or maybe the ecological conundrum of shelter or perhaps the architectural properties of buildings, but a person attends college to develop his mind and sharpen his thinking skills.
So if music is considered a human need and all needs are skill driven, then music should in fact not be a part of the city (excuse the Platonic reference; Plato recommended that artisans not be included in the city since they generally brought out unwanted emotions and emotions do not have a place in cultured society!). Music, then does not need nor deserve scholarship or cognition, but rather requires craft development and perhaps apprenticeship with the goal being acquired skills to serve the greater societal demands for music. And, whether good or bad, this is in fact true of music. It does use skill and craft and does require practice and experiential application.
Based on music as purely a craft that requires skill and practice, music is certainly worthwhile but probably not meritable as having a valued place in the college curriculum. This makes music similar to auto mechanics or home building or cooking or gardening. All great subjects and all certainly necessary and even special endeavors, but none of which is normally found as programs of study in colleges and universities. But does this really define music? Is this all it requires? Of course not.
Cognition, scholarship, and discernment are some of the goals of the college curriculum and we, as teachers, like to teach students to think and give them the tools to make their own decisions. Many of those decisions involve career choices and career training to an extent. Recall that education is a process of moving from the concrete to abstract. As already established, music is a human need, and is also an abstract art, but in many ways, music is an objective art form as well. In a concrete form, music is a sensing experience similar to taste or sight, and in addition, written music, like the written word, is a concrete, visual application of sound. The sense of sound identifies music objectively and tangibly and gives it a concrete image that includes the human element of performance. While this sensory requirement of music certainly is part of the picture, that alone does not move it easily into a higher role worthy of study.
Because music is its own unique language, it requires deliberate systematic learning to speak and write using symbolic notation. This means that music, like Math or English, is a layering of knowledge that builds upon itself. For example, in music theory, beginning with a Schenkerian theoretical practice for analysis of a Beethoven symphony, skips too many steps for success to occur. We, therefore, begin with the basics of notes and rhythms, and build the knowledge into a more complex and abstract formal structure for music.
While the study of theory is integral to music knowledge, so also is the study of Music History with its cross-discipline examination of culture, sociology, world history, psychology, and of course art. Taking music out of the area of skill alone and adding theory and history moves it easily into the college curriculum, similar to the study of science, math, or general history. Music requires skill and music requires knowledge and the need for knowledge demonstrates its rightful place in the education curriculum.We have arrived at our destination with the advent of theory and history. This should be enough, but in fact there is more--emotions and economics. We will consider these important traits later.
As a basic human need, music is not quite as necessary as food, clothing, shelter. Little argument there for sure. Yet, as has been established, it is still a vital human need and a regular part of everyday life. But college curricula does not educate the basic human needs. There are no classes on building houses, or cooking, or making clothes. Those skills are acquired through practice and perhaps through some sort of craft oriented class. The college curriculum may allude to the skills needed for successful farming or the economics of the clothing industry, or maybe the ecological conundrum of shelter or perhaps the architectural properties of buildings, but a person attends college to develop his mind and sharpen his thinking skills.
So if music is considered a human need and all needs are skill driven, then music should in fact not be a part of the city (excuse the Platonic reference; Plato recommended that artisans not be included in the city since they generally brought out unwanted emotions and emotions do not have a place in cultured society!). Music, then does not need nor deserve scholarship or cognition, but rather requires craft development and perhaps apprenticeship with the goal being acquired skills to serve the greater societal demands for music. And, whether good or bad, this is in fact true of music. It does use skill and craft and does require practice and experiential application.
Based on music as purely a craft that requires skill and practice, music is certainly worthwhile but probably not meritable as having a valued place in the college curriculum. This makes music similar to auto mechanics or home building or cooking or gardening. All great subjects and all certainly necessary and even special endeavors, but none of which is normally found as programs of study in colleges and universities. But does this really define music? Is this all it requires? Of course not.
Cognition, scholarship, and discernment are some of the goals of the college curriculum and we, as teachers, like to teach students to think and give them the tools to make their own decisions. Many of those decisions involve career choices and career training to an extent. Recall that education is a process of moving from the concrete to abstract. As already established, music is a human need, and is also an abstract art, but in many ways, music is an objective art form as well. In a concrete form, music is a sensing experience similar to taste or sight, and in addition, written music, like the written word, is a concrete, visual application of sound. The sense of sound identifies music objectively and tangibly and gives it a concrete image that includes the human element of performance. While this sensory requirement of music certainly is part of the picture, that alone does not move it easily into a higher role worthy of study.
Because music is its own unique language, it requires deliberate systematic learning to speak and write using symbolic notation. This means that music, like Math or English, is a layering of knowledge that builds upon itself. For example, in music theory, beginning with a Schenkerian theoretical practice for analysis of a Beethoven symphony, skips too many steps for success to occur. We, therefore, begin with the basics of notes and rhythms, and build the knowledge into a more complex and abstract formal structure for music.
While the study of theory is integral to music knowledge, so also is the study of Music History with its cross-discipline examination of culture, sociology, world history, psychology, and of course art. Taking music out of the area of skill alone and adding theory and history moves it easily into the college curriculum, similar to the study of science, math, or general history. Music requires skill and music requires knowledge and the need for knowledge demonstrates its rightful place in the education curriculum.We have arrived at our destination with the advent of theory and history. This should be enough, but in fact there is more--emotions and economics. We will consider these important traits later.
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Hot Springs--A Literal View
We decided to take a short vacation to Arkansas where we stayed at DeGray State Park in a lodge right on the lake that allowed us to bathe visually in the sheer and glorious beauty of tall pine trees, and an abundance of water glistening with light from the sun as it gently touched every particle of water within its reach. It was a relaxing and enjoyable time.
On Sunday, we headed to Hot Springs National Park to experience the Hot Springs! A few days before, we had discussed the Hot Springs with Joel partly to get him excited about the upcoming event and partly to educate him about the park. Little did we know, however, that the park and the springs were actually a set of abandon broken down bathhouses near a charming spring that happened to be very warm but also appealing to touch. While there was definitely historical value in seeing the bathhouses, and I was somewhat curious as to who participated in the bathhouses and why, in the end, I was slightly disappointed that the park was not the kind of park I expected. But I was excited and encouraged to see the commitment and effort to restore the old bathhouses. The walk along the path conjured up anachronistic visions of people seeking hot baths, massages, and other valuable self-improvement healing methods. Best wishes to Hot Springs as it embraces the past and progresses forward in the future. This illustrious city obviously takes pride in reclaiming the glory of the bathhouses and blending the old with the new.
But about a week before the vacation, Joel did not seem thrilled as we talked about our upcoming trip. For two days I noticed an odd look on his face that I could not seem to decipher. This was hard to understand since Joel normally loves to swim. Finally, the night before we left, I mentioned to Joel that he did not seem excited about the Hot Springs, and he once again got a nervous look on his face. After several minutes, he asked me if the springs would hurt? I said no and he proceeded to ask me how they heat the coils! Suddenly it hit me that Joel was imagining springs as in coils. Maybe he visualized lying down on a hot set of bed springs.
Joel takes things literally and visualizes the literal interpretation of what he hears. I smiled with him and explained that a spring comes from the ground and is made of warm water. He then got excited and asked me several questions about the water. His initial confusion led to a special moment of learning and love as I explained about rainfall, water tables, rivers, lakes, and springs and God's gift of water. We also discussed how words can often mean more than one thing and that context can usually help us define the meaning of words.
As many things in my fatherhood with Joel, it was a special time--touching in many ways, revealing in some, and mostly charming in that it reminded me not to assume that Joel hears what we think he hears. Even with the many challenges we face teaching Joel, the special moments far outweigh the difficult ones.
On Sunday, we headed to Hot Springs National Park to experience the Hot Springs! A few days before, we had discussed the Hot Springs with Joel partly to get him excited about the upcoming event and partly to educate him about the park. Little did we know, however, that the park and the springs were actually a set of abandon broken down bathhouses near a charming spring that happened to be very warm but also appealing to touch. While there was definitely historical value in seeing the bathhouses, and I was somewhat curious as to who participated in the bathhouses and why, in the end, I was slightly disappointed that the park was not the kind of park I expected. But I was excited and encouraged to see the commitment and effort to restore the old bathhouses. The walk along the path conjured up anachronistic visions of people seeking hot baths, massages, and other valuable self-improvement healing methods. Best wishes to Hot Springs as it embraces the past and progresses forward in the future. This illustrious city obviously takes pride in reclaiming the glory of the bathhouses and blending the old with the new.
But about a week before the vacation, Joel did not seem thrilled as we talked about our upcoming trip. For two days I noticed an odd look on his face that I could not seem to decipher. This was hard to understand since Joel normally loves to swim. Finally, the night before we left, I mentioned to Joel that he did not seem excited about the Hot Springs, and he once again got a nervous look on his face. After several minutes, he asked me if the springs would hurt? I said no and he proceeded to ask me how they heat the coils! Suddenly it hit me that Joel was imagining springs as in coils. Maybe he visualized lying down on a hot set of bed springs.
Joel takes things literally and visualizes the literal interpretation of what he hears. I smiled with him and explained that a spring comes from the ground and is made of warm water. He then got excited and asked me several questions about the water. His initial confusion led to a special moment of learning and love as I explained about rainfall, water tables, rivers, lakes, and springs and God's gift of water. We also discussed how words can often mean more than one thing and that context can usually help us define the meaning of words.
As many things in my fatherhood with Joel, it was a special time--touching in many ways, revealing in some, and mostly charming in that it reminded me not to assume that Joel hears what we think he hears. Even with the many challenges we face teaching Joel, the special moments far outweigh the difficult ones.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Music--A Human Need, Pt. II
As we discovered earlier, music results from vibrations which cause sound, and, by my definition, music is simply sound whether organized or not. While we may prefer a certain systematized organization of sound for our music, and we may find aesthetic beauty in melody and harmony, it doesn't change the fact that all sound is music in one form or another. Since sound exists in nature and is further expanded by humans, it cannot be, nor would we want it to be, obliterated. It, then, becomes a human need by virtue of its omnipresence in the world.
But the question arises, how valid is the study of music for the school curriculum? To answer this requires an examination of what education is and how subjects are selected for further study.
The process of educating is to supply the necessary tools for improvement of life's situation. Education, in a nutshell, is moving from the known to the unknown and from the concrete to the abstract. We use a variety of experiences to teach people something new and special that will give them the knowledge for reaching beyond the obvious to the sublime. In the case of math, we begin simply with concrete examples--we all remember adding and subtracting apples--to multiplication and onward to calculus and further. Someone recognized the need for mathematical knowledge for improvement of the quality of life. So the study of math becomes a standard subject in schools and for the educational process. While discussion continues over how to teach math and how much is needed, little discussion takes place over its worth in the curriculum. The difference is that math (although advanced math is flexible and creative) is quantifiable. It is easily assessed and easily measured. It is black and white, right or wrong, and objective.
While curriculum in schools tends to be reactive to societal trends (take the recent position in obesity studies at a major university as an example), there are some subjects that remain timeless and always required such as English, History, and basic Science. Knowledge of these subjects is expected and will not change. These subjects are necessary and valuable in educating the whole person, and therefore are needed in the curriculum at all ages. Like music, these subjects cannot be abolished and they exist in the world in a multitude of forms. They are a human need.
But what makes the subject of Music different from Math or English? Is it the subjectivity or cross-disciplinary traits of music--since music involves some math, science, history, and language--or is it the aptitude factor that is admirable but equally frightening? Meaning that we wonder how it is that some seem to have a greater aptitude or talent level than others in regard to music? While an interest in history can propel and hasten a person to a comprehensive level that seems unusually gifted, it is still the interest not the aptitude that led to the knowledge.
Music, however, requires interest, knowledge, and unfortunately for the discipline, at least to an extent, aptitude. At this point, one could and should argue that aptitude without interest leads to limited results and that interest in music without aptitude is a prescription for mediocrity (although, in my mind, mediocre music making is preferable over no music making, and in fact, is why music is the discipline for everyone), although mediocrity is a subjective judgment at best. Music, as a subject may suffer from the odd psychological difficulty of understanding how and why some are talented and others are not. Since we have trouble academically describing talent, and have trouble applying scholarship to aptitude, it becomes easier to simply reject it. Further adding to this challenge is that there are countless examples of unusual aptitude without any kind of formal training. This then brings to mind the talent question--is talented educated or natural? But that is an off-shoot discussion for another time.
The question to be answered is why does music jockey for position in the curriculum when other subjects do not? Because ultimately, no matter how much objectivity we may apply to the study of music, the end result moves from the cognitive to the emotional. This makes music's benefits primarily intrinsic and difficult to measure. Does this truth then demand music's extraction from the educational process or does it prove its inherent worth? Let's discuss this further in the next section.
But the question arises, how valid is the study of music for the school curriculum? To answer this requires an examination of what education is and how subjects are selected for further study.
The process of educating is to supply the necessary tools for improvement of life's situation. Education, in a nutshell, is moving from the known to the unknown and from the concrete to the abstract. We use a variety of experiences to teach people something new and special that will give them the knowledge for reaching beyond the obvious to the sublime. In the case of math, we begin simply with concrete examples--we all remember adding and subtracting apples--to multiplication and onward to calculus and further. Someone recognized the need for mathematical knowledge for improvement of the quality of life. So the study of math becomes a standard subject in schools and for the educational process. While discussion continues over how to teach math and how much is needed, little discussion takes place over its worth in the curriculum. The difference is that math (although advanced math is flexible and creative) is quantifiable. It is easily assessed and easily measured. It is black and white, right or wrong, and objective.
While curriculum in schools tends to be reactive to societal trends (take the recent position in obesity studies at a major university as an example), there are some subjects that remain timeless and always required such as English, History, and basic Science. Knowledge of these subjects is expected and will not change. These subjects are necessary and valuable in educating the whole person, and therefore are needed in the curriculum at all ages. Like music, these subjects cannot be abolished and they exist in the world in a multitude of forms. They are a human need.
But what makes the subject of Music different from Math or English? Is it the subjectivity or cross-disciplinary traits of music--since music involves some math, science, history, and language--or is it the aptitude factor that is admirable but equally frightening? Meaning that we wonder how it is that some seem to have a greater aptitude or talent level than others in regard to music? While an interest in history can propel and hasten a person to a comprehensive level that seems unusually gifted, it is still the interest not the aptitude that led to the knowledge.
Music, however, requires interest, knowledge, and unfortunately for the discipline, at least to an extent, aptitude. At this point, one could and should argue that aptitude without interest leads to limited results and that interest in music without aptitude is a prescription for mediocrity (although, in my mind, mediocre music making is preferable over no music making, and in fact, is why music is the discipline for everyone), although mediocrity is a subjective judgment at best. Music, as a subject may suffer from the odd psychological difficulty of understanding how and why some are talented and others are not. Since we have trouble academically describing talent, and have trouble applying scholarship to aptitude, it becomes easier to simply reject it. Further adding to this challenge is that there are countless examples of unusual aptitude without any kind of formal training. This then brings to mind the talent question--is talented educated or natural? But that is an off-shoot discussion for another time.
The question to be answered is why does music jockey for position in the curriculum when other subjects do not? Because ultimately, no matter how much objectivity we may apply to the study of music, the end result moves from the cognitive to the emotional. This makes music's benefits primarily intrinsic and difficult to measure. Does this truth then demand music's extraction from the educational process or does it prove its inherent worth? Let's discuss this further in the next section.
Music--A Human Need Pt. 1
Music, I posture, is a human need. We have to have it in some form or another. Because it exists naturally around us and because music is an extension of vibration and because vibration demonstrates the energy of matter in motion, music is a practical result of external stimuli that modulates smoothly into a metaphysical art. In other words, music exists apart from the human element but is improved (debatable) by human interference.
Now many would say that music is by definition "pretty sounds" or "organized noise" or filled with melody, rhythm, and harmony, or some might take a more personal approach and say that music reaches the intrinsic sublime of the human spirit and creatively or in some cases, dangerously, lifts the eidolon of man to another world. Of course, in many ways all this is true, but it does not tell the whole story for music has collective properties, personal properties, and a diversity that is difficult, and perhaps impossible, to label and categorize.
For me, music is all sound resulting from vibration. I like certain sounds more than others and I prefer an organization of the sound into a prescribed musical system, but I also recognize that all sound has musical properties. Now, before going further, I admit that such a broad definition is frightening to those who have narrowly placed music into a small box for personal pleasure. In this box, most people open it and take out that which appeals to their own taste. While I begrudgingly respect this myopic view of music, I myself cannot abide by such a tiny, prejudicial view of what music is and or what music should be. So I widen my scope to include all of sound as being musical.
Imagine for a moment, a world without any sound. Imagine the complete absence of sound in our society. How long would we last before sound crept in, before sound invaded silence, before we begged for the vibrations to create noise? Even a person who is hearing challenged participates in internal sound and is aware of vibrations. John Cage, the iconoclastic experimental composer of the 20th century, in his effort to experience zero sound, discovered that his own blood and heart had sound. We cannot get rid of vibrations, we cannot get rid of sound, and we cannot get rid of music. We may reject the appeal of particular sounds, and may even seek to stop particular sounds and in particular stop certain vibrations, but we cannot eradicate sound from the world. It occurs beautifully (forgive the descriptive adjective for now!) in the birds. It occurs violently in the coyotes. It occurs tenderly in the wind blowing through the trees, and occurs intermittently in the crickets as they chirp their aria at night. The great philosopher Schopenhauer said, “the phenomenal world, or nature, and music [are] as two different expressions of the same thing.”
The natural musical phenomenon--music in the broad sense of sound--that results from vibration and occurs in everyday life whether man-manipulated or through entirely natural means, cannot be avoided and is in fact, both covertly and overtly, embraced in our culture, not as means to specific product, but rather as an intrinsic psychological and emotional requirement. In other words, we need music. We may not be consciously aware of this need, but it is there. This cannot be denied.
Now many would say that music is by definition "pretty sounds" or "organized noise" or filled with melody, rhythm, and harmony, or some might take a more personal approach and say that music reaches the intrinsic sublime of the human spirit and creatively or in some cases, dangerously, lifts the eidolon of man to another world. Of course, in many ways all this is true, but it does not tell the whole story for music has collective properties, personal properties, and a diversity that is difficult, and perhaps impossible, to label and categorize.
For me, music is all sound resulting from vibration. I like certain sounds more than others and I prefer an organization of the sound into a prescribed musical system, but I also recognize that all sound has musical properties. Now, before going further, I admit that such a broad definition is frightening to those who have narrowly placed music into a small box for personal pleasure. In this box, most people open it and take out that which appeals to their own taste. While I begrudgingly respect this myopic view of music, I myself cannot abide by such a tiny, prejudicial view of what music is and or what music should be. So I widen my scope to include all of sound as being musical.
Imagine for a moment, a world without any sound. Imagine the complete absence of sound in our society. How long would we last before sound crept in, before sound invaded silence, before we begged for the vibrations to create noise? Even a person who is hearing challenged participates in internal sound and is aware of vibrations. John Cage, the iconoclastic experimental composer of the 20th century, in his effort to experience zero sound, discovered that his own blood and heart had sound. We cannot get rid of vibrations, we cannot get rid of sound, and we cannot get rid of music. We may reject the appeal of particular sounds, and may even seek to stop particular sounds and in particular stop certain vibrations, but we cannot eradicate sound from the world. It occurs beautifully (forgive the descriptive adjective for now!) in the birds. It occurs violently in the coyotes. It occurs tenderly in the wind blowing through the trees, and occurs intermittently in the crickets as they chirp their aria at night. The great philosopher Schopenhauer said, “the phenomenal world, or nature, and music [are] as two different expressions of the same thing.”
The natural musical phenomenon--music in the broad sense of sound--that results from vibration and occurs in everyday life whether man-manipulated or through entirely natural means, cannot be avoided and is in fact, both covertly and overtly, embraced in our culture, not as means to specific product, but rather as an intrinsic psychological and emotional requirement. In other words, we need music. We may not be consciously aware of this need, but it is there. This cannot be denied.
The Altered State of Thumbness
When I awoke, I was a thumb. This condition was unusual of course, but even more unusual in that I was not a normal thumb. I was unattached, unattractive, and non-functioning. I wanted to be a person again but instead was a thumb--stubby, round, wrinkled in spots, and limited. I was old, ugly, effete, and walked in a galumph style not unlike a wounded tortoise. My senses were in tact to an extent and, sadly, my mental faculties were keen as ever, although I felt them diminishing quickly, but my reaction time was slow due to the physical impulses being stark and unrefined.
When I looked in the mirror, I almost blended in with the mirror in a doleful and colorless countenance, bland and dull and weathered, with a gray-like hue similar to an old discarded hat left outside for centuries. When I was a human, I was concerned with looking good and smelling nice, but as a thumb I realized that I was odorless. I smelled neither good nor bad. For the first time in my life, I desired to smell bad for to have an odor was to exist. And to have a pungence, whether good or bad, gave me a purpose--to improve it. But as a thumb, I had no odor for which to direct my attentions. I vowed to get rid of all cologne and wryly wondered why I had ever bought it in the first place.
At first I was somewhat hopeful since the thumb generally serves a great need on the human hand. The thumb normally aids in picking things up, typing the space bar, gripping items, hitching a ride, pushing on small items, and many other useful skills. On the surface, being a thumb is not a bad existence; except, in my case, I was unattached. The benefits of being a thumb are tremendous provided the thumb is connected to the hand. The fingers depend on the thumb and the thumb needs the fingers. They comprise a team of five that can accomplish amazing things when working together, but without each other, they individually have virtually nothing. As I viewed the situation, I realized that without being connected to anything, I was virtually and in reality nothing.
But not all was in vain in that I was not a typical thumb. I had eyes, ears, arms, and legs, but no mouth. I could think as a person but could only act as a thumb. My state of nothingness, however, was not all that unique I realized, having lived for years without the knowledge that some other people around me were thumbs as well. Many thumbs, formerly humans, were walking around in a state of non-being. I found myself nodding at them, waving at them, and acknowledging them in that expected manner that thumbs without mouths normally acknowledge them. They were plentiful. Why had I not seen this before?
I wanted to know what led to their thumbness for to discover the root of their transformation might be the answer to returning to a human state. When we recognize the cause of our problems, it is a then a short step to dissolving those problems. Why are we thumbs? What can be done? Are we destined to live our lives as thumbs, accomplishing very little, and being very insignificant, having little purpose, receiving no recognition, and having little connection to the very world in which we reside? Strangely, while these thoughts invaded my cognition, I was not emotionally engaged in them. Instead, I became objective and sterile in my thinking which in many ways was more frightening than my physical state. In short, I didn't care about anything and was comfortable being a thumb. I didn't learn, I didn't grow, I didn't respond, I didn't.
Since I couldn't talk (for want of a mouth), my thoughts made no difference. On the one hand, I was unable to harm but also unable to impart anything. I could write but saw no need since a thumb should have no reason for writing. My purpose was to be a thumb without fingers, and thumb without fingers is purposeless thereby resulting in a void, a psychological black hole. I had a physical appearance and filled space, I was not invisible, but was obviously transparent since no one, not even other thumbs, acknowledged my existence. And, sadly, it was a satisfactory life--nary a care in the world.
Yet, in the deepest recesses of my mind, I sought to escape the complacency and apathy that threatened to rule my every step. I begged for release from my captured nothingness and decided to wage a war against my desire to be satisfied with my existence as a thumb. Superficially, being a thumb was easy and nondescript and benignant without joy or sorrow. Since I was no longer a human, I had no need for those kind of emotions. They were unnecessary and not a part of our lives as thumbs. Intrinsically, however, I wanted more. I wanted to rise out of my cave of shadows and into the world of feelings, fear, joy, anger, love, and subjectivity. But how?
I continued my hopeless trek through time as a thumb without a purpose and without any kind of meaning. The other thumbs assumed that I, like them, was contented and had purged myself of the desire for change or even improvement. But little did they know I was committed to returning to my human state. It would happen and only I could make it happen. I would care once again.
Suddenly, without any kind of announcement or preparation, I witnessed the event that would return me back to a human state. I saw an old disheveled thumb shaking in the gutter of a forlorn, little used street. I walked over to him and sense something familiar about him. Maybe it was his mannerism, or maybe it was the strange whorls in the center, or maybe I so desperately needed something from the past, my imagination sought him out. Whatever the case, I knew him from before my thumbness. I also knew without a doubt he was crying for me and not himself. He was a lost cause but he didn't want me to be the same. I cannot say who he was only that I knew him. My memories were abandoning me quickly, but at the same time, I knew he was someone from my past.
As I saw his despair, I vowed it wouldn't happen to me. I felt his compassion for my plight and his concern lifted me out of my state. I experienced a rushing whirlwind of psychological spinning as I was hurtled through space and eventually back to my own previous existence. I woke up in a sweat, and breathing hard, I ran to the mirror and saw the human me. With a smile, a spring, and an optimism, I walked among the other humans proudly and honorably. Occasionally, however, I will stop and glance at my thumb, glad I have it and glad that is not all I have!
When I looked in the mirror, I almost blended in with the mirror in a doleful and colorless countenance, bland and dull and weathered, with a gray-like hue similar to an old discarded hat left outside for centuries. When I was a human, I was concerned with looking good and smelling nice, but as a thumb I realized that I was odorless. I smelled neither good nor bad. For the first time in my life, I desired to smell bad for to have an odor was to exist. And to have a pungence, whether good or bad, gave me a purpose--to improve it. But as a thumb, I had no odor for which to direct my attentions. I vowed to get rid of all cologne and wryly wondered why I had ever bought it in the first place.
At first I was somewhat hopeful since the thumb generally serves a great need on the human hand. The thumb normally aids in picking things up, typing the space bar, gripping items, hitching a ride, pushing on small items, and many other useful skills. On the surface, being a thumb is not a bad existence; except, in my case, I was unattached. The benefits of being a thumb are tremendous provided the thumb is connected to the hand. The fingers depend on the thumb and the thumb needs the fingers. They comprise a team of five that can accomplish amazing things when working together, but without each other, they individually have virtually nothing. As I viewed the situation, I realized that without being connected to anything, I was virtually and in reality nothing.
But not all was in vain in that I was not a typical thumb. I had eyes, ears, arms, and legs, but no mouth. I could think as a person but could only act as a thumb. My state of nothingness, however, was not all that unique I realized, having lived for years without the knowledge that some other people around me were thumbs as well. Many thumbs, formerly humans, were walking around in a state of non-being. I found myself nodding at them, waving at them, and acknowledging them in that expected manner that thumbs without mouths normally acknowledge them. They were plentiful. Why had I not seen this before?
I wanted to know what led to their thumbness for to discover the root of their transformation might be the answer to returning to a human state. When we recognize the cause of our problems, it is a then a short step to dissolving those problems. Why are we thumbs? What can be done? Are we destined to live our lives as thumbs, accomplishing very little, and being very insignificant, having little purpose, receiving no recognition, and having little connection to the very world in which we reside? Strangely, while these thoughts invaded my cognition, I was not emotionally engaged in them. Instead, I became objective and sterile in my thinking which in many ways was more frightening than my physical state. In short, I didn't care about anything and was comfortable being a thumb. I didn't learn, I didn't grow, I didn't respond, I didn't.
Since I couldn't talk (for want of a mouth), my thoughts made no difference. On the one hand, I was unable to harm but also unable to impart anything. I could write but saw no need since a thumb should have no reason for writing. My purpose was to be a thumb without fingers, and thumb without fingers is purposeless thereby resulting in a void, a psychological black hole. I had a physical appearance and filled space, I was not invisible, but was obviously transparent since no one, not even other thumbs, acknowledged my existence. And, sadly, it was a satisfactory life--nary a care in the world.
Yet, in the deepest recesses of my mind, I sought to escape the complacency and apathy that threatened to rule my every step. I begged for release from my captured nothingness and decided to wage a war against my desire to be satisfied with my existence as a thumb. Superficially, being a thumb was easy and nondescript and benignant without joy or sorrow. Since I was no longer a human, I had no need for those kind of emotions. They were unnecessary and not a part of our lives as thumbs. Intrinsically, however, I wanted more. I wanted to rise out of my cave of shadows and into the world of feelings, fear, joy, anger, love, and subjectivity. But how?
I continued my hopeless trek through time as a thumb without a purpose and without any kind of meaning. The other thumbs assumed that I, like them, was contented and had purged myself of the desire for change or even improvement. But little did they know I was committed to returning to my human state. It would happen and only I could make it happen. I would care once again.
Suddenly, without any kind of announcement or preparation, I witnessed the event that would return me back to a human state. I saw an old disheveled thumb shaking in the gutter of a forlorn, little used street. I walked over to him and sense something familiar about him. Maybe it was his mannerism, or maybe it was the strange whorls in the center, or maybe I so desperately needed something from the past, my imagination sought him out. Whatever the case, I knew him from before my thumbness. I also knew without a doubt he was crying for me and not himself. He was a lost cause but he didn't want me to be the same. I cannot say who he was only that I knew him. My memories were abandoning me quickly, but at the same time, I knew he was someone from my past.
As I saw his despair, I vowed it wouldn't happen to me. I felt his compassion for my plight and his concern lifted me out of my state. I experienced a rushing whirlwind of psychological spinning as I was hurtled through space and eventually back to my own previous existence. I woke up in a sweat, and breathing hard, I ran to the mirror and saw the human me. With a smile, a spring, and an optimism, I walked among the other humans proudly and honorably. Occasionally, however, I will stop and glance at my thumb, glad I have it and glad that is not all I have!
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Criterion for Artistic Excellence
One of the great problems of the modern era is how to determine artistic excellence from artistic mediocrity. What are the properties that separate a great piece of music from a good one or even a poor one? Does popularity define greatness or does it defy it? Why is the music of Bach considered better than the music of Meyerbeer (a composer few have ever heard)? Why is the art of Rembrandt better--if it is?--than the art of Thomas Kinkade?
According to Kant, a combination of knowledge from experts, time, personal interests, taste, and subjective beauty determine quality. Yet personal preference is somehow unsatisfactory in making objective decisions regarding excellence due to the imposition of concepts. "There can be no objective rule of taste by which what is beautiful may be defined by means of concepts. For every judgment from that source is aesthetic, i.e., its determining ground is the feeling of the subject, and not any concept of an object. It is only throwing away labour to look for a principle of taste that affords a universal criterion of the beautiful by definite concepts; because what is sought is a thing impossible and inherently contradictory--Emmanuel Kant.
Every time we attempt to pass judgment on an object of beauty, we are limited by our own interests and our own narrow concepts of what beauty is. This accounts, therefore, for the discrepancy between those who value the art of Kinkade over the art of Duchamp. If one's concept of beauty is based on what is seen or what is imagined from having seen realistic photographs, then all abstract art does not measure up to any kind of beauty. Imagination then decides the concepts and forms the interest that make up the criteria for determining excellence.
Let us take a look at a simple example: the dinner. If one's imagination of a good dinner is a hamburger, fries, and a coke, then any variation of that or even a total departure from that concept takes a lesser role. If we imagine the hamburger from the local fast-food restaurant as representing the finest in culinary experiences, we expect to feast upon the meal that exists in our minds. It becomes necessary, therefore, to broaden our concept of a meal and to expand our interest. It also becomes valuable to seek the wisdom of those more experienced in cooking and eating food other than the hamburger. If our imagination goes beyond that of a hamburger and ventures into unknown regions of food--salad, steak, fish, poultry, vegetables--then we inadvertently broaden our interests and ultimately our concept of what dinner can be. But imagination is often limited by experience and knowledge, making it useful to find those whose concepts have already been expanded, namely the chef, the recipe author, the restaurant reviewer, and other experts.
While we tend to minimize our own interest and narrow our concept by virtue of our own ignorance, the person who values a hamburger above all foods who has indeed experienced other foods and simply makes a choice to reject that which does not meet his taste buds requirements is making a preference based primarily on knowledge. While he may not be in agreement with the experts, we must acknowledge his decision as being worthwhile to him albeit an unusual decision.
Back to the question at hand, what determines great music? Is it rhythm, is it harmony, is it instrumentation or text? Why do we acknowledge Beethoven's 7th Symphony as better music than Turkey in the Straw? Certainly complexity must play a role in the decision and no doubt the combination of judgments from experts helps the process, but is there more to judging music than personal preference or opinions of critics, or a concept of what good music is or even personal interests? Ultimately, the genius of Beethoven is exhibited through craft, expression, emotional power, mathematical balance, and aesthetic appeal. Concepts, interests, critics, and personal taste all demonstrate the excellence but ultimately it is the test of time over centuries and over wide geographical space that proves its worth.
Time, however, in terms of art often takes years, decades, and centuries for it to become the ultimate determining factor. But without the passage of time, we must revert back to cogitating on the criteria--namely craft, complexity, expression, balance, originality, and aesthetic appeal. During this process, it is valuable to attempt to eradicate interests and personal concepts and narrow imaginations. I urge the person seeking for help in finding excellence in artistic expression to broaden his perspective, listen to the experts, seek out specific objective criteria, and make decisions based on several factors rather than simply personal preference. If one does choose to decide excellence based on self motives, open acknowledgment of that criterion is the most appropriate response.
Mostly, it is justifiable to make judgments and to search for excellence when dealing with art. We grow and improve from criticism and artistic standards remain high due to rejection and effort in seeking excellence. Back to the original question: how do we determine excellence in art? Through intelligent examination of a suggested list of criteria, through the broadening of concepts and interests, and through the meditative reflection of personal taste and need for expression. From this practice, we can come closer to knowing which pieces of music will withstand the test of time and which ones are worth our effort today.
Obviously, this is a major topic that has only been skimmed in this essay. Let's discuss this further at some point!
According to Kant, a combination of knowledge from experts, time, personal interests, taste, and subjective beauty determine quality. Yet personal preference is somehow unsatisfactory in making objective decisions regarding excellence due to the imposition of concepts. "There can be no objective rule of taste by which what is beautiful may be defined by means of concepts. For every judgment from that source is aesthetic, i.e., its determining ground is the feeling of the subject, and not any concept of an object. It is only throwing away labour to look for a principle of taste that affords a universal criterion of the beautiful by definite concepts; because what is sought is a thing impossible and inherently contradictory--Emmanuel Kant.
Every time we attempt to pass judgment on an object of beauty, we are limited by our own interests and our own narrow concepts of what beauty is. This accounts, therefore, for the discrepancy between those who value the art of Kinkade over the art of Duchamp. If one's concept of beauty is based on what is seen or what is imagined from having seen realistic photographs, then all abstract art does not measure up to any kind of beauty. Imagination then decides the concepts and forms the interest that make up the criteria for determining excellence.
Let us take a look at a simple example: the dinner. If one's imagination of a good dinner is a hamburger, fries, and a coke, then any variation of that or even a total departure from that concept takes a lesser role. If we imagine the hamburger from the local fast-food restaurant as representing the finest in culinary experiences, we expect to feast upon the meal that exists in our minds. It becomes necessary, therefore, to broaden our concept of a meal and to expand our interest. It also becomes valuable to seek the wisdom of those more experienced in cooking and eating food other than the hamburger. If our imagination goes beyond that of a hamburger and ventures into unknown regions of food--salad, steak, fish, poultry, vegetables--then we inadvertently broaden our interests and ultimately our concept of what dinner can be. But imagination is often limited by experience and knowledge, making it useful to find those whose concepts have already been expanded, namely the chef, the recipe author, the restaurant reviewer, and other experts.
While we tend to minimize our own interest and narrow our concept by virtue of our own ignorance, the person who values a hamburger above all foods who has indeed experienced other foods and simply makes a choice to reject that which does not meet his taste buds requirements is making a preference based primarily on knowledge. While he may not be in agreement with the experts, we must acknowledge his decision as being worthwhile to him albeit an unusual decision.
Back to the question at hand, what determines great music? Is it rhythm, is it harmony, is it instrumentation or text? Why do we acknowledge Beethoven's 7th Symphony as better music than Turkey in the Straw? Certainly complexity must play a role in the decision and no doubt the combination of judgments from experts helps the process, but is there more to judging music than personal preference or opinions of critics, or a concept of what good music is or even personal interests? Ultimately, the genius of Beethoven is exhibited through craft, expression, emotional power, mathematical balance, and aesthetic appeal. Concepts, interests, critics, and personal taste all demonstrate the excellence but ultimately it is the test of time over centuries and over wide geographical space that proves its worth.
Time, however, in terms of art often takes years, decades, and centuries for it to become the ultimate determining factor. But without the passage of time, we must revert back to cogitating on the criteria--namely craft, complexity, expression, balance, originality, and aesthetic appeal. During this process, it is valuable to attempt to eradicate interests and personal concepts and narrow imaginations. I urge the person seeking for help in finding excellence in artistic expression to broaden his perspective, listen to the experts, seek out specific objective criteria, and make decisions based on several factors rather than simply personal preference. If one does choose to decide excellence based on self motives, open acknowledgment of that criterion is the most appropriate response.
Mostly, it is justifiable to make judgments and to search for excellence when dealing with art. We grow and improve from criticism and artistic standards remain high due to rejection and effort in seeking excellence. Back to the original question: how do we determine excellence in art? Through intelligent examination of a suggested list of criteria, through the broadening of concepts and interests, and through the meditative reflection of personal taste and need for expression. From this practice, we can come closer to knowing which pieces of music will withstand the test of time and which ones are worth our effort today.
Obviously, this is a major topic that has only been skimmed in this essay. Let's discuss this further at some point!
Monday, March 12, 2007
Project Planet Invective
I want to begin this invective essay with the pronouncement that I am sensitive to the environment. I love the outdoors and have great respect for animal-life, plant-life, the climate, and the value of the many resources God has given us and the responsibility as stewards of our planet not to mistreat or waste those natural elements that benefit our lives as humans. To state I respect the outdoors does not truly give justice to my feelings. There are times when I am outdoors that I am so overcome with powerful emotions as to be considered a tree-hugging liberal and a nature lover. This morning, as I looked out over a beautiful lake in Arkansas, and saw its glassy smooth shine as it gently and tenderly kissed the land on either side, and looked up and saw the tall trees as they smiled down upon the water, and witnessed their arms full of leaves flirt with the baby blue sky, I once again was awed by the amazing glory of the world God created. We are called to have dominion over the earth, but not called to abuse it. We are called to love each other and that love must be extended to our world.
So why do I insist on inveighing invective against Project Planet?
The last several years, I have noticed a brochure in motel rooms called "Project Planet." In some ways, this is a brilliant marketing scheme devised by someone or someones with an incredible sense of how to deliberately and systematically guilt manipulate people. Hotels realized several years ago how much time and money (which in the business world are synonymous terms) they were spending on laundry each day. A hotel with 100 rooms would wash one or two sets of towels and sheets each day using up vast amounts of water, soap, and human resources for said endeavor--and all for the sake of having clean or fresh linens. There is no question this represents unusual and unnecessary waste and any kind of savings of water can only be beneficial. A hotel can spend $527 and receive 200 doorhangers, 200 pillow cards, 200 brochures, 2 posters, 20 stickers, and a training video. These materials are considered "starter" materials as the hotel develops its "image" as a lover of the planet.
The financial benefit alone is remarkable and can help the hotel economy. One owner said, "We have just completed our fist year of the cycle and our overall savings for the twelve month period was 26% a remarkable number that equates to $121,000 over the course of a year." With these dramatic savings, hotel owners can hire fewer staff, save time, and save on the wear and tear of laundry machines. In addition I, personally, see no need for a person to have a clean towel each day or clean sheets. A luxury like this sounds a little too bourgeoisie and elitist and somehow wreaks of ersatz sophistication and pretension without substance. In my view, it is just plain old nonsense for a guest of a hotel to expect "clean and fresh" towels and sheets everyday.
So what is the problem? The problem is the methodology and the propaganda.
I object to the method used by Project Planet and the hotels to convince us to hang our towels on the racks. I object to the constant propaganda and vicious visuals that are conjured up to appeal to our sensitive feeling side for the planet. I resent the implication that should I choose to place my towels on the floor, I am damaging the future of a baby bear or a giraffe or a rain forest or a beautiful waterfall. The green brochure tinted with red and gold from leaves and laced with blue water is meant to bring awareness to the human need to save the planet. As you rudely throw your towel on the floor, you can feel the sad eyes of the baby bear staring at you as he begs for a drop of water that you are depriving him by having your towel washed. And that beautiful waterfall (never mind that the water comes from a vast water table which is replenished by rainfall) is in danger of drying up and killing all plant-life in the region. That image of a giraffe reaching for his food in the tall trees is meant to haunt you as you ignore the plea to save his life by reusing your towel.
While I respect the right of a company to make money and I certainly recognize that exaggerated propaganda has been and always will be a technique to convince people to purchase a product, I also refuse to allow any seepage of guilt to inflict me as I make my own decision to use my towel again. I would prefer a sign that simply says, "You will save us time and money by using your towels and sheets again," rather than guilt manipulating us by "playing the planet card" and convincing us of our "valued" role in saving the environment. I ask for honesty in advertising. There is nothing wrong with saving the hotel money. There is nothing wrong with doing our part to save the planet. But there is something wrong with "tricking" the public into believing they are saving the planet rather than saving money.
So why do I insist on inveighing invective against Project Planet?
The last several years, I have noticed a brochure in motel rooms called "Project Planet." In some ways, this is a brilliant marketing scheme devised by someone or someones with an incredible sense of how to deliberately and systematically guilt manipulate people. Hotels realized several years ago how much time and money (which in the business world are synonymous terms) they were spending on laundry each day. A hotel with 100 rooms would wash one or two sets of towels and sheets each day using up vast amounts of water, soap, and human resources for said endeavor--and all for the sake of having clean or fresh linens. There is no question this represents unusual and unnecessary waste and any kind of savings of water can only be beneficial. A hotel can spend $527 and receive 200 doorhangers, 200 pillow cards, 200 brochures, 2 posters, 20 stickers, and a training video. These materials are considered "starter" materials as the hotel develops its "image" as a lover of the planet.
The financial benefit alone is remarkable and can help the hotel economy. One owner said, "We have just completed our fist year of the cycle and our overall savings for the twelve month period was 26% a remarkable number that equates to $121,000 over the course of a year." With these dramatic savings, hotel owners can hire fewer staff, save time, and save on the wear and tear of laundry machines. In addition I, personally, see no need for a person to have a clean towel each day or clean sheets. A luxury like this sounds a little too bourgeoisie and elitist and somehow wreaks of ersatz sophistication and pretension without substance. In my view, it is just plain old nonsense for a guest of a hotel to expect "clean and fresh" towels and sheets everyday.
So what is the problem? The problem is the methodology and the propaganda.
I object to the method used by Project Planet and the hotels to convince us to hang our towels on the racks. I object to the constant propaganda and vicious visuals that are conjured up to appeal to our sensitive feeling side for the planet. I resent the implication that should I choose to place my towels on the floor, I am damaging the future of a baby bear or a giraffe or a rain forest or a beautiful waterfall. The green brochure tinted with red and gold from leaves and laced with blue water is meant to bring awareness to the human need to save the planet. As you rudely throw your towel on the floor, you can feel the sad eyes of the baby bear staring at you as he begs for a drop of water that you are depriving him by having your towel washed. And that beautiful waterfall (never mind that the water comes from a vast water table which is replenished by rainfall) is in danger of drying up and killing all plant-life in the region. That image of a giraffe reaching for his food in the tall trees is meant to haunt you as you ignore the plea to save his life by reusing your towel.
While I respect the right of a company to make money and I certainly recognize that exaggerated propaganda has been and always will be a technique to convince people to purchase a product, I also refuse to allow any seepage of guilt to inflict me as I make my own decision to use my towel again. I would prefer a sign that simply says, "You will save us time and money by using your towels and sheets again," rather than guilt manipulating us by "playing the planet card" and convincing us of our "valued" role in saving the environment. I ask for honesty in advertising. There is nothing wrong with saving the hotel money. There is nothing wrong with doing our part to save the planet. But there is something wrong with "tricking" the public into believing they are saving the planet rather than saving money.
Books and thoughts
I must apologize to my readers (which unfortunately are very few) for my blogging delinquency. Since reading a bunch of excuses for mediocrity is not especially gratifying for a writer nor a reader, I will refrain from such compunctious behavior. It is time, however, to write my thoughts and experiences of recent days.
I have again completed several books recently and feel compelled to mention them. One of my favorite books I have ever read is called The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. This fascinating book is set in Barcelona, Spain and draws upon a complex family history mixed with politics, romance, fear, dark humor, and relationships for a spell-binding comprehensive story about a writer whose books were one by one deliberately destroyed by a mysterious stranger. Stories within stories are interwoven and juxtaposed in a style loosely reminiscent of the Tales of the Arabian Nights where the reader is so drawn in by the current plot, he tends to forget the broader scope until he is returned to current times. The rich characters, attention to detail, and the psychological impact of the narrative leave the reader breathless in anticipation of the next page and the next revelation. The dark, Gothic qualities combined with a highly charged yet sophisticated writing style make this book a satisfying and emotional read that although not life-changing certainly not easily forgotten. The Shadow of the Wind is a vastly entertaining and personally enriching novel worth the time and energy it takes to read.
Another book recently completed is The Night Journal by Elizabeth Crook. Set primarily in Pecos, New Mexico with several documented historical events, including the horrific Mountain Meadow Massacre that occurred in Utah in 1857, the Spanish American War, the novel tells the story of three generations of women struggling to deal with the effects of the past. This intelligent and complex book is replete with adventure, sadness, terror, human frailty, buried emotions, and romance on several human levels. The refreshing honesty of human expression provides a comforting look at how a wide range of external experiences form the internal psyche and ultimately affect how we respond to events. The seemingly small impressions of the world are often coterminous with the constantly shifting psychological impulses that make up our inner being. The Night Journal is a satisfying journey through time that gives the reader opportunity for self-examination and reflection of his own march through joys and sorrows. In the end, we are taught to avoid taking for granted the many blessings that come our way.
I am also concluding a book called Beethoven's Hair and another book called The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin. Both of these are history books about two incredibly gifted men whose contributions to culture and society continue to influence countless generations. These men had an indefatigable commitment to excellence and garnered respect as doyens in their chosen fields. Their creativity could not be harnessed and their progress could not be stopped as they both reached beyond the parameters of expectation to achieve greatness.
I find reading to be a way to be enlightened and educated. Although I continue to learn from my mistakes, I keep hoping that reading and learning will prevent me from making unnecessary and futile mistakes in the future. The knowledge of the world can be found in books if we but look and the world, in all its glory and with all its challenges is a wondrously big place. I am grateful to the great writers who continue to give gifts of books to those who read.
WHO HATH A BOOK
Who hath a book
Has friends at hand,
And gold and gear
At his command;
And rich estates,
If he but look,
Are held by him
Who hath a book.
Who hath a book
Has but to read
And he may be
A king indeed;
His Kingdom is
His inglenook;
All this is his
Who hath a book.
--Wilbur D. Nesbit
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)