Song and dance.

There is a lot that is very ugly in our world. So much which is disconcerting. I think we should pay attention to these things, in hopes of making a change. Making a difference. But if we stay with the negative for too long, I think we attract the negative. You know how it goes. The more we complain about something, the worse it gets. It grows in proportion, not only in our minds, but in all our energy.

I have this notion that there is just as much beauty in the world as there is ugly. Things we don’t even know about. We need to pay attention to that, more than anything. And. Just tonight, I was reading about today’s historical events, and one of the birthdays listed was that of Cécile Chaminade.

I noticed her name immediately. Not because I knew of her. But mainly because her first name, Cecile, is the same as my middle name. I do not see it spelled that way very often. Most of the time, it comes around as Cecilia.

Not only that, her last name is Chaminade. And that is the name of my high school, in part. Chaminade-Julienne. So, I had to dig further.

As I read more about her, I found that she was born in France, back on August 8th, 1857. Her life would last 87 years. During that time, she was a wonderful composer and pianist. She was mostly known for her piano music. She used to go all around Europe on a big bunch of concert tours. But she was very popular in England. Like, the Lady Gaga of her day, maybe.

Cecile’s piano salon music and songs won widespread popularity. I can see the Bic Lighters now….. everyone rocking out to the piano riffs of Cecile. But she also wrote some pretty serious works — things like an opera, a ballet, and orchestral suites. But they didn’t go over quite as big with the critics. It is suggested that serious music like this was to be left to male composers. Ah. And so it goes.

At any rate, she seemed to be pretty big in her day. The talk of the town, and such. But I bet most people have never heard of her. Myself included, before tonight.

We all come and go. And the world keeps spinning. Hopefully. I bet that her music made people happy. It was her way of making the world a better place. Now those people are gone. Long gone. Did it make a difference today? Of course. Each moment is built upon the last.

So here we are. Living amongst the ugly, and the beauty.
And now, it is our time. Our turn. To shape the moments that are long to come.

 

============

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” 
― Charles Dickens

============

“Strong people don’t put others down… They lift them up.” 
― Michael P. Watson

============

“We only have what we give.” 
― Isabel Allende

=============