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For the past year I have been singing in a local community choir. It is the first time I have sung in any kind of group really since I left college, probably fifteen years. It has been a fun experience, well worth the one night per week of rehearsal time. The conductor, Jeff Redding, is very good at what he does. Recently he conducted a professional choir at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and he is nationally recognized for his excellence as a choir director. My point is, it has been a real treat to work with him.
This past Friday our choir sang as part of program for the final choir concert for the local high school. We sang three different negro spirituals, which is more than a little amusing given that aside from Mr. Redding the choir has an exceedingly caucasian membership. That being said, music is music. With the right director and with the right passion and commitment, even a lily white honky like me can do justice to the material. One very nice thing about these particular selections was that they had very meaty parts for a double bass (that would be me). It felt awesome to be anchoring the choir with a nice, deep E below the staff. It was also very nice to have both my wife and my mom in the audience. Overall it was a very enjoyable evening.
The only downside to it, and I didn't really express this to anyone at the time, was that I couldn't help but sit and watch all of these high school kids performing and think about that fact that I will never experience watching Ben participate in an event like that. At fourteen years old, he would be just starting his high school career. Who knows what he would have been into if he were a "nuerotypical" child, but given his heritage it is a safe guess that he would have been involved with band, choir, and/or drama. But even failing that, he would be involved with something, be it sports or debate or competitive basket weaving. But that is a fantasy alternate world, and here in this world he will never experience those kinds of high school moments. He will have his victories, and I will of course continue to be proud of him and to enjoy watching him grow into a man, but sometimes I just get a little twinge of regret about what could have been.
Well that got maudlin pretty quick, didn't it? Sorry.
On the family front, all is well here. Kris absolutely loves her new job, and it is great to see her so happy and energized about work. Mom is doing well, and is excitedly preparing for a month long trip back to Seattle where she will get to spend time with my sister and her family, take a trip to Cannon Beach, and be there for the wedding of an old friend. Me, I am in the final push for my current project at work, and then I am in the negotiating stages to move into a new position that I am very excited about. So hey, life on the whole is pretty dang good.
This past Friday our choir sang as part of program for the final choir concert for the local high school. We sang three different negro spirituals, which is more than a little amusing given that aside from Mr. Redding the choir has an exceedingly caucasian membership. That being said, music is music. With the right director and with the right passion and commitment, even a lily white honky like me can do justice to the material. One very nice thing about these particular selections was that they had very meaty parts for a double bass (that would be me). It felt awesome to be anchoring the choir with a nice, deep E below the staff. It was also very nice to have both my wife and my mom in the audience. Overall it was a very enjoyable evening.
The only downside to it, and I didn't really express this to anyone at the time, was that I couldn't help but sit and watch all of these high school kids performing and think about that fact that I will never experience watching Ben participate in an event like that. At fourteen years old, he would be just starting his high school career. Who knows what he would have been into if he were a "nuerotypical" child, but given his heritage it is a safe guess that he would have been involved with band, choir, and/or drama. But even failing that, he would be involved with something, be it sports or debate or competitive basket weaving. But that is a fantasy alternate world, and here in this world he will never experience those kinds of high school moments. He will have his victories, and I will of course continue to be proud of him and to enjoy watching him grow into a man, but sometimes I just get a little twinge of regret about what could have been.
Well that got maudlin pretty quick, didn't it? Sorry.
On the family front, all is well here. Kris absolutely loves her new job, and it is great to see her so happy and energized about work. Mom is doing well, and is excitedly preparing for a month long trip back to Seattle where she will get to spend time with my sister and her family, take a trip to Cannon Beach, and be there for the wedding of an old friend. Me, I am in the final push for my current project at work, and then I am in the negotiating stages to move into a new position that I am very excited about. So hey, life on the whole is pretty dang good.
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*hugs* on the could have beens.
Yippee on the new job prospect! Break a leg!