"The moment of victory is much too short to live for that and nothing else."
-Martina Navratilova
Immediately, this made me think of music. A quick, yet intensely satisfying moment of gratification, that despite its greatness, dwindles and fades like anything else.
Well if its not about the destination, the victory, then what is it about? And why do I keep going when I have such a blurry foresight as to where I'll end up? I'm convinced the journey must have more substance than we credit it with, and we must realize and appreciate that substance sooner than in hindsight. Otherwise we just live blip to blip, like red pins on a big map.
What does Martina's quote make you think of? What do you think about the substance of your journey and its destination(s)?
I relate to these ideas as an artist, too. Personally, I am all about the process. There is a certain joy in the journey. Growing through the infant stages of a show, for instance. Starting with read throughs, then blocking rehearsals, then run thrus and dress rehearsals, and then finally that climactic moment where you have reached the destination of performance before an audience. I have a hard time doing long show-runs because I quickly become bored. I don't experience this just artisically, however. I'm also the sort of person who enjoys the process of solving a long mathematical problem and find myself somewhat disappointed when I finally come to a solution. I think the major implication I took from Martina's quote is that victory, while sweet, is fleeting. In the end, I wonder what is more memorable, the journey, or the destination?
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow musician, I can empathize with the whole process vs. end product thing. It's just too difficult to work so hard on a piece without a performance to look forward to. Or maybe that's where I'm wrong- I'm gonna try to relate this to faith here.
ReplyDeleteBear with me:
The "journey" = our life. If we spend all or most or half or none of it trying to be a good person, does that mean we're going to get to heaven, the "destination"?
So then if we do choose to try and live a righteous life, why are we doing so? For the sake of getting into heaven or for the purpose of making the world *as it is right now* a better place?
The obvious "right" answer is the latter- it's the selfless choice of the two. But then what if we take that huge, generalized "journey"- life- and compress it into something like college or a single class or a specific piece of music?
I'm not quite sure, but the best answer I have right now is that we should appreciate something like life or righteousness or a recital program for the beauty it possesses all by itself, with no goal of recognition or heaven or a sense of accomplishment. That kind of mindset takes faith, I'm very confident in that.
Hope that helps, or even makes sense. Not that I have anything more figured out than you do.
Peace to you, Drew.