North From Here wrote:
Just an hour or two from me. Should be more, but I'm more prone to distraction at my current age than I was as a youngster.
Yes, it certainly is a malady of our times. Music listening is a central concentration for me, alongside with rigorous regiments of reading and writing. I have many other obligations around the house, but I divide my time, and live with my kind father, who is always accompanying.
I also understand that my concentrations are certainly valuable privileges, which are not kind to many people, for many different reasons, some of which are not entirely in their own control, which have to do with changes in general human nature, and human temperament, and our most poisonous social environment.
My heart goes out to them. Music is universal. I believe many people, if they did not have to meet the grinding necessities of life, which has reduced the needfulness of the soul, to absolute materialistic pursuits, would live very differently, indeed. People have tortured lives and it brings me to tears to see the state of Man today, in contemporary society. At least, that is the positive outlook, aside from the fact that the arts having never had a rightful place in people's lives, ever, generally speaking.
I certainly wish I could share more music with you, North and wish for you a wealth of elated pleasures, derived from your enthusiasm of the exploration of music
. Thank you for you reply, my good man, and I am sincerely sorry that you do not experience the same degree of intensity for music, as before.
Your feeling resonates with me. With your passion for music, keep at it, it'll come back, even with greater intensity. I wish there was something which I could do.
One last point: it becomes increasingly difficult to 'preserve' one's passion for the arts, in these, most distressing circumstances. But, equally, it is also a time for increasingly closeness, to the arts, because of this level of difficulty, in our social arena, and amidst the world's vista. Nothing else stands a chance for maintaining our humanity. I will tell you, North, that even a year and a half ago I would purchase music with such great zeal, and although these days I am still acquiring the same amount, it is admittedly with much less zeal. But I am not taking any steps back. I am battling the emotion. In fact, I am enlarging myself, as much as possible, imposing myself, fiercely upon the negativities of existence, so that one day the impeding forces will back away and they will. In this, I am sure.
