A few days ago I went to the Power Plant mall at the Rockwell Center to purchase some stuff. In the lower ground floor I saw this thirty-something man playing the piano. I did not think that he was paid to do it because he was playing his music with an exclamation point!
I stopped and listened to his music intently. Even if he was playing with such passion and deftness, nobody else cared to listen to him. People just passed him by and those in the nearby cafes and restos did not appear to have noticed that there was music at all. The romantic in me assumed that the pianist was playing the melody for a loved one because he played it with an intensity only a lover could muster.
My untrained ear could not recognize the piece – it could have been a Mozart or a Beethoven. I looked at his adept fingers, the sways of his head, his closed eyes, his mesmerized self. The rhythm of his music found its way into my soul, and it washed away my stress and engendered some positivity in me.
Sir Thomas Beecham once said that ”great music is that which penetrates the ear with facility and leaves the memory with difficulty.” How true.
I waited for the pianist to finish because I wanted to let him know that somebody was listening to him, that I was listening to him with as much passion as he was playing. When he finished he opened his eyes and looked around. He saw me and I smiled. He smiled in return and then closed his eyes again to play another melodious tone.
Even on my way out of the mall I still listened to his piano and somehow everything else was canceled out – the chatters, the opening and closing of doors, the cash machines, the cacophony in the mall.
That pianist taught me something worthwhile: that when I do something with passion, there is always somebody who appreciates it and is touched by it – even if I do not recognize that somebody’s presence.
Your choice of words, sentence construction and simple yet deep topics never cease to amaze me. Glad you found the time to write this amidst your busy schedule. Such a wonderful experience and reflection would have been a waste if left unwritten. Keep ‘em coming and I’ll keep reading. You know I’m a fan.
God bless.
I was wondering where you’ve been. You must have seen yourself in the pianist Father. Your enthusiasm for God and FOSS is contagious.
Jun is right. You must have seen yourself in the pianist, but I saw a priest last Friday who was so passionate about his vocation. His passion is so deep that it is natural for him to inspire the people around him. May you continue to do God’s work.
Yes father, you are so right in saying: “…in doing things with passion, there is always somebody who appreciates it and is touched by it – even if that somebody’s presence wasn’t recognized. I myself can attest to that personally, for those number of times when you didn’t know we were there for you. Keep up, we’ll be behind you always!
Steve,
They are right about you because you are a Missionary of the Sacred Heart – you are supposed to be compassionate, and to be compassionate you must be passionate, first of all.
Maybe the piece is Canon by Pachelbel
funny ,but i have the same experience just a few days ago.while hurrying through the busy underground metro tunnel in Paris to catch the metro line that will bring me to my train going home,i heard the most beautiful melody of “Michelle Ma’belle” played by a disheveled-clothed man with his old guitar.Nobody cared to listen as everyone were in a hurry to catch his/her metro line.Nobody,but me, as i stopped by his side to listen to the music until he finished playing it.The way he played his guitar with so much passion, it echoed & reverberate all through the walls of the metro tunnel really moves me.I can’t help but close my eyes & let the passion of his music overcomes me as i think of someone very dear to me.Am glad i did.I even took a picture of him then & there.I did’nt even care,i miss my metro line.
coincidence? anyway, just want to say, I feel exactly the same when you were listening to that pianist.
Hello. Thanks for your positive response to this post. May you all live a life filled with passion.
What comes to mind, Father: “Dance like nobody’s watching; love like you’ve never been hurt. Sing like nobody’s listening; live like it’s heaven on earth.” – (Mark Twain)
Maligayang pagbabalik-blog =] Sana po ay ayos ang lahat sa inyo!
I feel you are right in saying “that when I do something with passion, there is always somebody who appreciates it and is touched by it – even if I do not recognize that somebody’s presence”. To move further with the lesson you have learned, I can see and feel that even though no one would appreciate what I am doing with passion, what matters most is my attitude and the passion I am putting into my work, ,and the gift of joy born out of that passion. Thank you for teaching me how to be passionate. You are indeed a MSC priest. Keep on sharing your reflections, lessons learned and passion. God bless.
father, i wish i could be like you, so passionate in bringing God to others. god bless. keep up the good works!
hi fr. stephen, i just wanted to thank you for creating this great website/blog/podcast and for reaching out and touching other people’s lives. i pray that God will always bless you.
Hello Ian, S.Rose Ann, Marlon and Ruth, thanks for being here. I hope you are passionate in every good thing you do.