Music from another time
I found an internet radio station that plays, among other things, music from the Civil War era. Isn't it interesting how much is conveyed in music? I can almost feel transported to that other time, to hear the plaintive notes of a violin, so filled with pain and sadness it makes me think of crying. Bright brass bands, playing "Bonnie Blue Flag" brings to mind shining young men, thinking they are going off to an adventure.
That kind of music is about so much more, though. The graceful strings are rich with emotion; love, longing, sadness and loss. I have always loved the strings best. There's a sweetness there that no other instrument can quite touch. The others have their charm, of course. I suppose every heart is reached by something different.
My two sons have vastly different taste in music. I would have expected them, only four years apart, to like the same music. Not so! The older one likes heavy metal...the kind of thing that makes me want to bang my head in the oven door. He will not listen to anything else. The younger son has a wide variety of musical likes. Old rock, new rock, even some classical pieces interest him. He doesn't like Patsy Cline, which concerns me some. I mean, how can you not love Patsy? :-) But he is open to listen to almost anything...at least once.
In a nutshell, that is a perfect description of my two sons. One is strong in his own ways, convinced of the rightness of his own choices and unwilling to consider another path. Usually, he will not have even glanced down another path before choosing. This is a good quality, since he chose an honorable path. I never worried that peer pressure would steer him wrong. He is unsteerable. If he doesn't like something or someone, no glacier could move him. Right or wrong, his choices are his own and he stands up to them that way. I admire that in him.
The younger son is also his own man, so to speak. But, unlike his brother, he wants to know about things before he makes up his mind. He is no follower, and he doesn't give a darn if anyone follows him. He is more of a seeker. He wants to know what something is all about, to sample it and think about it, before he makes a choice. And he can compromise, finding a happy balance between one road and another. I admire that in him.
I like the convictions of one son, the open-mindedness in the other. Strange how two opposing qualities can both be appealing to me. I guess it isn't very different than really liking the music from both ZZ Top and the Civil War?
That kind of music is about so much more, though. The graceful strings are rich with emotion; love, longing, sadness and loss. I have always loved the strings best. There's a sweetness there that no other instrument can quite touch. The others have their charm, of course. I suppose every heart is reached by something different.
My two sons have vastly different taste in music. I would have expected them, only four years apart, to like the same music. Not so! The older one likes heavy metal...the kind of thing that makes me want to bang my head in the oven door. He will not listen to anything else. The younger son has a wide variety of musical likes. Old rock, new rock, even some classical pieces interest him. He doesn't like Patsy Cline, which concerns me some. I mean, how can you not love Patsy? :-) But he is open to listen to almost anything...at least once.
In a nutshell, that is a perfect description of my two sons. One is strong in his own ways, convinced of the rightness of his own choices and unwilling to consider another path. Usually, he will not have even glanced down another path before choosing. This is a good quality, since he chose an honorable path. I never worried that peer pressure would steer him wrong. He is unsteerable. If he doesn't like something or someone, no glacier could move him. Right or wrong, his choices are his own and he stands up to them that way. I admire that in him.
The younger son is also his own man, so to speak. But, unlike his brother, he wants to know about things before he makes up his mind. He is no follower, and he doesn't give a darn if anyone follows him. He is more of a seeker. He wants to know what something is all about, to sample it and think about it, before he makes a choice. And he can compromise, finding a happy balance between one road and another. I admire that in him.
I like the convictions of one son, the open-mindedness in the other. Strange how two opposing qualities can both be appealing to me. I guess it isn't very different than really liking the music from both ZZ Top and the Civil War?
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking the time to visit me! I truly appreciate your comments!