The Music

Have you ever paused to notice how differently people approach life? Faced with identical situations, certain folks always seem to have widely varied expectations and experience. It’s one of those "glass is half empty" things. Some people open their eyes each morning with the thought, "oh boy, another day," while others wake to the same day mumbling, "oh no, here comes another day." Same day, just different hearts. My metaphor for this concept is music, perhaps as a variation on the "different drummer" principle. Life has a beauty and cadence, a music if you will, which certain folks relish and respond favorably too. It’s not so much something that we hear as feel. They expect life to be better and even faced with the same obstacles as others, their optimism spills over into successful living. I do not in any way mean to imply financial success as we shall save that for other discussions. By successful living, I refer to happiness and purpose. Truly, I concede that the twain must not necessarily meet. Some lucky people make a huge success of their lives without ever having grasped the proverbial financial brass ring. In fact, I daresay that we may over emphasize that aspect of life entirely. It certainly doesn’t seem to help the divorce rate, perhaps even having the converse effect. It doesn’t prevent our children from going south and ruining their lives. It fails to make us live significantly longer. Finally, it might even be a hindrance to spiritual salvation and enlightenment. Once I heard someone referred to as being, "a failure at everything but living." That took a while to digest, but I came to think of it as the most exquisite of compliments. No doubt, there are those who seem to be dealt cruel hands by fate. Is that fair? Clearly not, but life just isn’t fair. You play the cards you are dealt as best you can. The point here is that some folks just fold instead of playing. They sit instead of dancing. They remain mute instead of singing. They are so overwhelmed by their lot that they don’t even try at all. Life, real life, isn’t about our circumstances, but what we choose to do with them. It takes no more effort to make lemonade out of lemons than it does to make orange juice out of oranges. We take what we have and we do what we can with it. The key is perspective and the choice belongs to each of us. The music of life is playing all around us, is happening all around us. We have but to listen. However, some hear the music ... and some do not.

The Music
I've often heard it takes all kinds
And none can doubt there are a lot
But as one goes through life one finds
Some hear the music and some do not
Some tap their feet to the beat of life
While others plod in misery
Some seek out joy and others strife
Some tragedy, some symphony
As deafness, like a plague, corrupts
And spreads from lonely heart to heart
A boil which festers and erupts
As it tears the threads of life apart
But the music plays for him who will
Incline his ear and bare his soul
And tarry there to drink his fill
Of what life offers 'till he's full
The choice is ours to trudge or dance
In cadence to the song we choose
On purpose or by circumstance
We can hear the jazz or sing the blues
Let not the deafness smother you
Lest you grow weary and distraught
Choose to let the music through
Some hear the music and some do not
By Frank Carpenter ©