Just yesterday my daughter Ellie and I noticed a signboard in a local park promoting a concert featuring an eight year old trumpet virtuoso. It seems that there is no shortage of prodigies and talented young people in our midst, judging from their numbers here just in the St. Louis area.
When I was a young kid, I would have to fight against jealousy of others my age who displayed greater talent than I. Today I see things differently; those who are blessed with a phenomenal talent or ability can show the way to the rest of us. We can aspire to be more like them and become more than we already are. I recall a friend once saying to me that being the best at something you do brings the danger of complacency and resting on your laurels.
Probably sometimes we feel frustrated not because someone else is better at something than we are, but because we are not receiving similar praise and adulation. What might be worse, though, is a situation in which a talented person goes unnoticed, as I outlined in an earlier column. Maybe the lesson here is that we all deserve credit and recognition for hard work, creativity and making the most of the talents and abilities we have been given.
Today, sadly, many of our schools give praise and recognition where it is not deserved, as witnessed by the grade inflation that is rampant in some quarters. Accomplishment should be measured against clearly objective standards, not vague notions influenced by personal feelings. One of the great beauties of accomplishment in any performance-based activity, be it music, sports, realist art, or even a spelling bee or some other venue, is that the performance in question is judged against specific, verifiable criteria. This will give food for thought for many future columns!
Hope the above didn't sound like a sermonette! As always, I am interested in your thoughts and feedback. Many thanks for reading.
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Very interesting thoughts on this, Daddy. I think that it is not only that fantastic talent goes unnoticed but maybe an even deeper meaning at times. What I do think is that anyone who is blessed with such phenomenal talent owes their gift to the world. I think artists have a god given responsibility to share this with people.
ReplyDeletehmmm.... The way I see it, not only, 'artistic' talent, but ANY talent(s/occupation that a person has/does, was given him to provide for the few or the many. We all possess special and unique talent(s)that ONLY WE CAN DO in this World; in only OUR unique and special way! I.e. --Perhaps, you are a pianist (ahem), and you never quite conquered the notes in that one, certain Scriabin piece. However, when you perform that 'one special' Chopin etude, people are transported and believe the 'angels' are speaking to them! (I made this up...I'm a Flutist, what do I know about Scriabin!? (~.^))
ReplyDeleteThink on this: Nobody has a talent greater than another. All talents are equal and uniquely 'integral' to existence on Earth (ok, Space, too.) As each of us are totally 'unique,' so must our talents be in order to supply the various needs of others. How can you measure someone's talent when they, in some way, supply the need of someone else?
I'm not saying that we can't improve our talents, but we all are doing the best from where we are at this given point in time. (...unless, you aren't sharing yourself!?)
We should all know how very special we are, and how much each one of us is integrally needed upon this planet! Love your talent(s), yourself, and what you can share or do for others.
Just talked to Jacki the other day about the comment she posted. I can not agree with her more. It is a very succinct view about how we all equally special in our talents and contributions. I remembered a quote that I have always liked from a friend mine and Jacki and I agreed that it should be included in the discussion.......Bill said.."We are all pretty much the same from the neck down but God gave us all different faces so we can see each other as unique"........another idea that came out was the idea of how others in some way (intentionally or not) try to limit us with messages that do not allow for the equality of our talents.......envy, jealousy, fear that you outshine or become to haughty ...who know what all the reasons are.......we need to encourage ourselves not to listen to this.....I see the Universe as having us kind of like a baseball team with God/source as the manager....a good manager see the players as a puzzle...like Jacki said.....we perceive ourselves as weaker/stronger.....more this/less that.....but to the manager it is about how to get those different but equal parts to work together for the best outcome.....not competing within the team.......cooperation/coordination is what makes it work......this is evolutionarily more sound for all of us....I agree with Jacki...we need to love our talents and that we all need each other in a very deep and integral way. Thanks, Russell
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