Is it me, or?

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BoSoxGal
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by BoSoxGal »

Here’s a small pleasure - pomegranate oolong, sunshine in a cup.
ADCC79E3-E65D-4C23-B271-F499FF0BF3BA.jpeg
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

Big RR
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Big RR »

I guess we all have to find our joy and pelasures where we can find them. when I took a Spanish literature course in college, I recall a novel (or maybe novella)__I don't recall the title--about a guy who made Job look lucky--who lost everything and saw his world crumbling around him. But near the end he celebrated saying, "What can we do but dance?". I saw it as an affirmation of life and a squeezing out of life whatever joy we can get, dancing in the face of unimaginable grief. That image has stuck with me all these years, even though I couldn't tell you the title or author.
Last edited by Big RR on Thu Sep 03, 2020 1:52 am, edited 1 time in total.

Burning Petard
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Burning Petard »

Any one in the USofA who is not depressed has not been payng attention.

I cling desperately to a picture of my wife, 50 pounds overweight, 80 years old, in a room of women all standing around the wall, and my wife in the center, by herself, dancing, joyfully. The photo was taken a year ago.

snailgate.

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Joe Guy
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Joe Guy »

BoSoxGal wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 7:54 pm
This isn’t that kind of depression that I’m talking about, so much as a) wondering if it’s just normal to become more and more jaded with advancing age, and b) is our world also really at a teetering point - because it sure seems like it in more ways than one.
I believe it's normal to become more jaded with age. The more crazy stuff you see going on in the world around you, the less surprised you get when yet another crazy thing happens.

I think the world is always at a teetering point. Even though Trump is making the teetering start to totter, I think we will get through this and move on to another big thing to worry about. Generally speaking, I'm an optipest. I always see the positive side of things but fear it's all an illusion.

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TPFKA@W
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by TPFKA@W »

oldmaneyes.jpg

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Sue U
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Sue U »

TPFKA@W wrote:
Fri Sep 04, 2020 2:29 pm
oldmaneyes.jpg
While somewhat glurgy, this is essentially my view. Focusing on headlines and news of the day can really cause one to lose perspective and develop a jaded or cynical view. (You have to remember that news is news most frequently because it's something bad -- take it from a former newswriter.) Look at your own personal world, enjoy the life that you have been blessed to have, because every day we are one day closer to the grave. Spend time observing and playing with dogs; they've got this thing pretty well figured out.

Two or three years ago I started playing music again, and since the pandemic began I have spent most every waking moment working to regain my skills (when not working my actual day job). When I was a kid in music school I hated practicing; now I can't get enough of it, and I would do it all day long if I could. This is one thing I count on for joy on a daily basis. One thing I have found is that I am a lot more patient with myself and a lot more willing to take the time to really understand and work on the finer points of the craft, now that I am significantly older. I may never play as well as I did when I was 20 -- much less at the professional level I have always aspired to -- and that's something I've had to come to terms with. But focusing on doing something better each day has been very inspiring and uplifting for me.
GAH!

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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Big RR »

I agree with those sentiments as well; when I was in college I was certain that the world wouldn't make it to 2000 without a nuclear holocaust, and I just hoped I was near ground zero of one of the bombs or missiles--didn't happen. I was pretty sure the US would also have a military coup (possibly even successful by the 80s; didn't happen. And I was certain food shortages would cause mass starvation through much of the world, including in the US; didn't happen either. So I don't despair as much as I once did; hell, if Nixon (smarter than Trump and a superior politician in every way) couldn't end democracy in the US, I give Trump very little chance of even coming close.

and Sue, the music is a good approach; I've been working on my piano during this time as well, especially since the group I sing went on hiatus and my church choir job ended in March (hopefully it may start up again, but who knows). Music is always a welcome respite from the world around us, and can bring joy to the performer as well as the audience. I'll never sing at the Met or play with a major orchestra no matter how hard I work, but the working is the reward in itself.

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Sue U
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Sue U »

Big RR wrote:
Fri Sep 04, 2020 5:30 pm
I've been working on my piano during this time as well, especially since the group I sing went on hiatus and my church choir job ended in March (hopefully it may start up again, but who knows). Music is always a welcome respite from the world around us, and can bring joy to the performer as well as the audience. I'll never sing at the Met or play with a major orchestra no matter how hard I work, but the working is the reward in itself.
Would you like to work up some Bach with me? I need a keyboardist for the Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Piano/Harpsichord. (Currently working on Sonata No. 3, which is pretty rockin'.)
GAH!

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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Big RR »

It's been a while and I just started again; I'm not up to that right now. maybe in a few months. Now if you need a vocalist...

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Sue U
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Sue U »

The recording I've been working with has Keith Jarrett on harpsichord, but no pressure, dude. ;)
GAH!

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BoSoxGal
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by BoSoxGal »

I was just getting back into community choir participation before this pandemic - and we were rehearsing Randall Thompson’s Frostiana, a particularly lovely piece to be working on, given my lifelong love of Robert Frost’s poetry. I’d also been invited to join the sea chantey chorus, and was very keen on getting back into good times spent with fellow music nerds.

Sadly at least with these groups, it seems choir will be one of the very last things of normal life to return - and that is sensible, given everything we know about the potential for choir rehearsal to be a super spreader event (the WA study from back in March) and since many choirs tend to have numerous members in the 50+ age range.

Actually one of the things that’s got me quite sad is seeing the devastation of the live performing arts industry in this pandemic; I am receiving plentiful emails seeking donations to keep stages from going under in the lockdown. I think I shared once before that it is predicted 40-50% of museums won’t survive the pandemic, and I just heard an interview this week discussing the permanent shuttering of many clubs that have hosted musicians and comedians over the years as they were coming up in the industry. While I’m sure in the long run new places will emerge from the fire, in the short run the pandemic depression is gutting some of the best things in life.
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

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BoSoxGal
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by BoSoxGal »

Here’s the Frostiana, worth checking out if you like Frost. (Might want to revisit the poems first, or have a copy of them handy while listening.)



About Frostiana: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frostiana
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan

Big RR
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Big RR »

Frostin is a fun piece BSG; I've done a few of the mixed choir pieces over the years, and I love the arrangement of The Road not Taken.

And you are right, this pandmeic will take its toll on the smaller venues and choirs; we are trying hard to hold ours together, but grants are drying up; we can get a federal loan(s) but are trying to avoid taking on debt unless we have to. We're hoping to have a concert in the late Spring, but who knows what will happen. The sad thing is we were just starting to connect in a few places and get a few more paying gigs and some corporate sponsorship.

Sue-- :lol:

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Gob
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Gob »

Sue U wrote:
Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:06 pm
now that I am significantly older. I may never play as well as I did when I was 20 -- much less at the professional level I have always aspired to -- and that's something I've had to come to terms with.
You think YOU"VE got problems... ;-)
“If you trust in yourself, and believe in your dreams, and follow your star. . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.”

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Sue U
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Sue U »

Gob wrote:
Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:48 am
Sue U wrote:
Fri Sep 04, 2020 4:06 pm
now that I am significantly older. I may never play as well as I did when I was 20 -- much less at the professional level I have always aspired to -- and that's something I've had to come to terms with.
You think YOU"VE got problems... ;-)
Are we talking about your sex life again?
GAH!

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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Jarlaxle »

BoSoxGal wrote:
Wed Sep 02, 2020 2:05 pm
Here’s a small pleasure - pomegranate oolong, sunshine in a cup.

ADCC79E3-E65D-4C23-B271-F499FF0BF3BA.jpeg
Enjoy it.

Personally, I prefer coffee.
Image

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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Econoline »

Jarlaxle wrote:
Mon Sep 07, 2020 3:01 am
Image
:lol: :ok
People who are wrong are just as sure they're right as people who are right. The only difference is, they're wrong.
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rubato
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by rubato »

Big RR wrote:
Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:48 pm
...
To me that's the most important thing; every time you're tempted to despair, try and remember that there have difficult times before and the path always led to better times. Indeed, it is worth the fight to regain the better times, and those times will come if we push on towards them....
But then we had good leadership. And people respected the truth. Now we have shit leadership and the GOP has abandoned the truth for lying expediency.

yrs,
rubato

Big RR
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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by Big RR »

We haven't always had good leadership; some bad times coincided with (or were caused by) bad or incompetent (or both) leaders (some well- intentioned, others not so); some were resolved by good leaders, others just resolved themselves. In recent history, the civil rights strife did not end because of the efforts of LBJ, and the Vietnam war did not end because of the efforts of Nixon; sometimes we get lucky (like with other recent pandemics( and economic crises), other times they resolve themselves.

Certainly we have what is probably the worst leadership from the WH and Senate right now we have ever had, but all of this too will eventually pass. And FWIW, I really don't want Trump's leadership; imagine how much worse things would be if he really understood government and knew how to get things done. He's caused enough trouble, but most of his initiatives have fizzled--imagine what it would be like if they did not.

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Re: Is it me, or?

Post by ex-khobar Andy »

Big RR wrote:
Mon Sep 07, 2020 12:56 pm

Certainly we have what is probably the worst leadership from the WH and Senate right now we have ever had, but all of this too will eventually pass. And FWIW, I really don't want Trump's leadership; imagine how much worse things would be if he really understood government and knew how to get things done. He's caused enough trouble, but most of his initiatives have fizzled--imagine what it would be like if they did not.
In some ways you illustrate why I am terrified of 2024. I hope and expect that Biden will win this time around. Of course he will have some successes and some failures and I sincerely hope that he will not think that just not-being-Trump is enough to win over the people. But those failures will mean that the Trumpers will be locked and loaded in 2024 possibly even with a candidate of superior intelligence and capability - let's face it, that's not exactly a high bar. If you think this election is ugly, wait four more years.

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