At the moment I am listening to Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F Major, the Pastoral Symphony, his ode to nature. I am loving the first movement: Allegro ma non troppo. It is a tranquil and cheery movement that compliments the gorgeous day we are having. I am sitting at my computer looking out the window enjoying this sunny, breezy early summer day daydreaming about a place where life can be easy and serene. I am listening to this beautiful music thank you to Nathaniel Ayers, whom I read about in the book "The Soloist." After reading the book I wanted to rediscover the music, and especially the composer, that Nathaniel loves with his whole being and his entire soul, so much so that this former musical prodigy, who is schizophrenic, would rather risk remaining on the street in a world where there are no commitments or rules, just so he can close his eyes and play his instrument at any time of the day, every day. The music he once knew and played so beautifully often eludes him now, so he plays and plays and plays so as to never lose what he fights to remember and hold close. As Steve Lopez said about Nathaniel, "He had something that few of us ever find: a passion for something that he really believed in. He’d been faithful to it through the worst part of a horrible disease. And I found great inspiration in that."
So, as I sit listening to Beethoven and thinking about Nathaniel and wondering where life takes us next and wondering how to recapture the love and passion for what we do, I realize that it's never left; it's just been re-directed. Just keep the faith. As I write this, Beethoven's No. 6 segues into the movement entitled "By the Brook." The strings imitate flowing water and I look out the window at the pond and watch the trees sway to the music, catching rays of sunshine that brighten all the flowers that grace our gardens in this beautiful part of the country. I am grateful. From my vantage point all is right with the world and that window of opportunity looks good. There is no other place I would rather be. Thank you Nathaniel Ayers.
