Comments

Thanks, Emily. That never really occurred to me before either. I always thought people were just being polite or "making conversation." Or worse, that they wanted to put me on the spot. But you're right, sometimes a person just *needs* to hear music. My next door neighbor used to be a music teacher. After he moved out, he created a community symphony orchestra, and he called me up and invited me to join. Then he told me a true story. He said that he often had trouble getting to sleep at night because one of his other neighbors played recordings of country music very loudly. He especially hated Achy Breaky Heart, which they played frequently. On those occasions, he would move to the living room sofa to sleep because he could hear me playing my violin through the living room wall, and he liked it. He said that he especially liked the way I played Bach. I never suspected, while I was playing, that I was auditioning and making someone feel good. Emily, my problem is that I dispiritedly want other people around me to enjoy the music that I’m enjoying. This tendency applies to playing CDs as well as my own playing of the violin. Recently I was checking out a home stereo system in a store and. I had my Zuckerman’s Bruch Concerto CD with me so I put it and played the 2nd movement in one of the most expensive system. As soon as the music started, a man nearby who was looking for earphones froze. After a few minutes of listening, I got good enough an idea how this particular machine sounds and wanted to change to the next one, but I couldn’t because the guy was still in a same frozen position, lowering his head pretending he was examining the earphone but you could tell he was listening. I kept the music going and he kept standing there all the way until the end of the 2nd movement was over, then he left. We didn’t say a word to each other nor even making eye contact so I wasn’t sure about what really happened, but I like to think the music grabbed him and it would be cruel for me to stop music to switch the machine in the middle of it. That thought made me smile. Music is, God's natural sedative. But I'm commenting because of your awesome writing!. You go Emily!. I love to bake too - have never done it for quite so many people! I read your blog last night and then got up and made banana bread this morning. Something I haven't baked in years. The lower level of my house smelled scrumptious. Baking may be my gateway to living a mindful life - a new goal of mine. What kind of camp is it? Thanks, Albert!

Yixi, sometimes I want people to enjoy the music that I love so much that I end up being afraid of being let down by their lack of response or disapproval, and I don't share it at all. Magical moments like the one you describe seem to be precious and few.

Donna, the best part of baking is when you go into the farthest room in the house and find the smell still lingering there, several hours later(unless you burned something, of course). I bet your banana bread was tasty. In answer to your question, I work at a Christian youth camp and conference/retreat center. We just finished Memorial Work Weekend, a retreat in which families work to get the facilities ready for summer in exchange for food and lodging and lots of frisbee golf.

Next time put your invisibility cloak on and make sure no one can hear you come in the room.
Do you have an invisibility cloak? No. But I have The Ring. Does that count? My precious
You have
My precious
You stole it
musician with itchy fingers
grabs my precious away from me
Smeagol will get violinist
Sneak into violin and jump out of F hole
Will get precious back