
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
Despite my beloved mother’s best efforts (God rest) and the hours she put in playing Bach on the piano, I’m still nowhere near as cultured and refined as she was. She’d quote Chaucer for me, in middle English. She’d school me on the origin of words.
Still, I’m just an easily-distracted, uncultured, good-natured gal from New Jersey.
Doesn’t matter if I’m looking right at you as you tell me your long-winded spiel. In my mind, I’ve gone to Carolina.
Watching this video of Hilary Hahn, I was reminded of my mother playing Bach on the piano.
I’m amazed at how beautiful even one note can sound in the right hands. At the same time, I’m also utterly distracted by the fact that her producer looks like a combination of Fred Mertz (of I Love Lucy) and Cheech Marin (of Cheech and Chong).
Then I realized that her conductor looks like Art Garfunkel (of Simon and Garfunkel). 😎
So whilst (little faux fanciness for ya) I try to be good at culcha, alls I can really do is appreciate it in my own New Jersey way. I’ll never have tea with the queen, p’raps, but I like to spin a yarn and have a good laugh.
I noticed that when Hahn plays, her whole body moves in a particular choreography. It’s as if she knows that she can’t reach the notes with her hands unless her feet move in a certain way at the same time.
Her whole body is her instrument.
In the same way, your whole life is your testament.
Most of the people you meet would never stand still and let you convert them to your beliefs.
All of the people you meet are seeing, hearing and feeling your beliefs every time you speak.
With all that’s going on in the world, all I can do is offer you this cozy corner where you’ll always be welcomed like a friend and we can share our stories. I don’t care who you are or where you’re from, kind people. You’re okay with me.
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August 14, 2017 at 1:58 am
Lilka Raphael
🙂
August 14, 2017 at 2:30 am
rhcwilliams
There’s also a musician in the orchestra who looks like Joni Mitchell, Ms. Lilka! Oh, yeah, and the music’s pretty, too. 🙂
August 14, 2017 at 2:50 am
in
Well said, Ruth! I sho visit this cozy corner often!
August 14, 2017 at 2:57 am
rhcwilliams
You’re always welcome, dear heart! I’m having coffee right now. Why don’t you have one too, and we’ll have a virtual visit, from afar? Hope you’re doing well, in! XO
August 14, 2017 at 4:13 pm
calensariel
And when folks come to us and observe our “testimony” it’s so important to embrace them and all their fears and hopes. That’s where our books begin…
August 14, 2017 at 5:33 pm
rhcwilliams
That’s the truth, Lady Calen. Also to be sure not to sell them a bill of goods, i.e., find faith and all your problems are solved. All I can tell people who ask is that I always look for the good in life. Making the “yes” in life more prominent than the “no” becomes a habit after a while, and things start looking up. Hope you’re doing well!
July 30, 2018 at 1:26 am
Prelude to a Blessing | praypower4today
[…] used to play on the piano. That audible cue says to my brain, it’s time to create. As I said in a previous post, she gave me an abiding love for Bach. When I was a child, I’d ask her to play what we called the […]