MY WORD-MY PASSION

Imagine, an artist, looking at a blank canvas of a piece of art in his minds eye. Imagine, a composer, looking at a blank piece of lines on a page where the notes and squiggly lines will be placed delicately in between those lines. Imagine, a dancer, walking onto a waxed floor of an empty dance hall, picturing the choreography of the music he is listening to, in his head. Now, looking at the dimensions of the dance floor, and the freedom (s)he has to create at will, and all the adjustments made during the course of that choreography until the piece finally flows. Imagine, a chef, walking into the filled cooler, about which he is preparing the night's specials. Imagine, the coffee barista, selecting the beans (s)he is about to grind, damp, and place in the machine for the next perfect cup, made to order. Imagine, the teacher, on the first day of school, prior to the class filling up with students, the empty chairs and the sounds of laughter echoing in the halls. Imagine, the mother or the father, looking at that beautiful child in their arms, just delivered and resting comfortably, pink faced and eyes wide open. How can we not face the future prospect of any of these passions and belittle their power, or their ability to create new life, energy, love, fire in our spirit. It is the woven fabric of each life we interact with.

Imagine now, if you will, a blank screen on a blog post. Or imagine a blank piece of paper, or an empty message box for an e-mail, or the word processor with a blank cursor flashing in the first spot on the first page. Or any place someone who writes uses to express emotion. It is that way for me. I may not always write coherently or my words may not always be appreciated, as I guess, some may not look at the guy who makes your cup of coffee, or the person who teaches you your lesson at school each day, or the artist who spent the hours producing the work which now hangs on your living room wall collecting dust. Do you even know the artist's name in the lower right corner? Or the chef who spends years experimenting with flavors, and preparing sauces to make a dish whetting our appetites. That song will be stuck in your head for decades into your future, and you will smell a scent or look at something that will immediately bring those words into your mind again, and you will remember the first time you heard it when you thought about that person. The hours of practice to get a dance number right, before a performance, and all the extra work behind the scenes that make that recital, or play or performance go off with relatively no hitch. How often do we go and thank an old teacher, from elementary school or high school or e-mail a former professor to say thank you? How often do we thank our parents (aside from the major holidays)? And when do we just recognize the flowers? The garden was made with the hands of someone who painstakingly got thorn pricks as they cut the roses to sell at the corner florists for someone to give to you. Look around you today. Don't try to think too much about your life... but think of the people around you in your busy day to day, and begin to appreciate the little things, sacrifices made, and passions fulfilled in everyday life.

It is just this post, from my heart to you, that I hope inspired that thought.