As I always say when I update this thing...it has been entirely too long since my last update. I would make some bold promise that I'll update this blog on a weekly basis but, at this point, I know myself too well to foolishly believe that I'll follow through with that. The reality is that, well, life happens. We do cool stuff, some other stuff gets thrown our way, we oscillate between survival mode and "thriving" mode (or maybe we live in the former of those modes for longer than expected), and...well...life happens.
This begs the following question: How do we find, and maintain, joy, amid the unpredictability of the world, our own circumstances, and life itself?
The answer: There's no one-size-fits-all approach, and we need to accept that it won't be constant. It's more likely to show up here and there. Here are some examples in my own life, as of late:
1. Playing a baby grand at a German restaurant in Greenwich and making music with (and for) some awesome humans.
2. Asking Apple Music to play songs it thinks I'd like, and just basking in the ambience of the music while driving, rather than switching tracks every fifteen seconds.
3. Watching my students enjoy each other's company, and just be kids, over Bella Napoli donuts the day after a successful performance at NYSSMA Majors.
4. Driving my 22-year-old Acura CL coupe to work, just to change things up, opening the windows and sunroof on the drive home, and decompressing at the end of the work week (well, until the check engine light started flashing and one of the six cylinders started misfiring).
5. Making, and then eating, a cast-iron-seared pulled pork sandwich with melted gouda, cole slaw, and caramelized onions.
What brings YOU joy?
