Monday, December 3, 2018

“I’m on the hunt for who I’ve not yet become.” - Anonymous

From “The Human Condition: A User’s Manual,” by Arnold Kunst
30
Mozart deserves his middle name, Amadeus – “Amare” means “To Love;” “Deus” means “God” – figuratively translated “Love gift of God.” My daughter Simone, a voice major who has far more experience at this sort of thing than I do, says Mozart is so easy to sing - everything seems always to flow with such effortless mastery, every sfortzando in exactly the right place. I am sitting in a Starbucks, earplugs in place, listening to his “Requiem.” The “Dies Irae” is trully terrifying, the “Rex Tremendae Majestatis” the standard by which all men might measure “majesty.” You can't help but be swept up into the emotional state he weaves with such consummate mastery. “Confutatus Maledictus” comes rolling in on wheels of inevitability - from beginning to end you are swept along inexorably. In fact I’d go even further: the outpouring of genius feeds our souls. As a result I think a case can be made that you and I need to put ourselves in the presence of genius on a daily basis, for genius is the gift of the gods themselves.
And if Mozart isn’t your thing, bear in mind genius is a many-spelndored thing.
It encompasses not only the visual and performing arts, but also sports, mathematics, politics – you name it. A daily exposure to genius will of necessity lead you and me in the most profound way. The cumulative reward for that exposure is that that genius, the part that has your name on it, will seep into your soul, just like it should.
Mozart is always right here in my iPod, and all I need at my local Starbucks is my earphones and a properly formed sense of values, and profound enrichment is only a click away!
Sure, I agree life is piled high with intractable problems – but, please, don’t miss what feeds your soul!


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