25 Things: #1 Classical and Shiny eyed

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

I adore classical music. Mozart tops my list of all time best creative geniuses.
I actually kind of like opera too, and broadway show tunes and Jason Mraz and Coldplay's Viva la vida. But my iPod playlist is so random, I can't play it around other people because someone always rolls their eyes and laughs at me..."you like that song?" Yeah. I usually apologize. I probably shouldn't.

A couple of things made me think of this today. We were trying to plan a trip to see our sweet friends in Seattle over Valentines. Heather is the loveliest hostess and I aspire to be like her. When we go there we get to stay in our own little apartment out back while the kids sleep together in the main house. It's so amazingly lovely. But the best part is that she always has a little radio playing in the room, set to the classical station, 24-7. You walk in and instantly feel like you're someone else... somewhere...else. I play the classical station more now.

But the main reason is that I came across another really wonderful TED talk today. I love these things. I really want you to watch this one. I really want you to be moved by it too...especially the very end. I enjoyed it so much I took some time to write down a couple of quotes. Maybe they will inspire you like they did me.

"The conductor of an orchestra doesn't make a sound. He depends for his power on his ability to make other people powerful. My job was to awaken possibility in other people."

Wow. I want that to be my job. Maybe I should have been a conductor.

Here is another:
"You notice that there is not the slightest doubt in my mind that this is going to work, if you look at my face. It's one of the characteristics of a leader that he not doubt for one moment the capacity of the people he's leading to realize whatever he's dreaming. Imagine if Martin Luther King had said, "I have a dream…of course, I'm not sure they'll be up to it…"

Certainly that one has to be the topic of some bloggish exposition sometime doesn't it?

There is more amazing stuff. Go watch the talk. 20 minutes. It will change you...make you shiny eyed. And I'll bet you'll love classical music more. And then I won't be as much a freak from the very start of my 25 things. (grin)

Click Here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9LCwI5iErE