On When the Light Goes Out

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candles

How is it that the fire in people's hearts grows dim?  Why is it the music fades, then grows silent, and the sparkle in people's eyes turns dull and sunken?  This darkness has enveloped the modern man and modern woman.  As a composer, whose inner world still lights up in the occasional brilliant erratic outburst, I watch the life in the eyes of the strangers I pass by and the people around me grow sullen and dim.  Many would blame this epidemic that is the death of our inner worlds on external factors.   Surely it must be Government, those women, those men, family, my husband, my wife, my job, my boss, the economy, the rich and big corporations causing this despair and despondency; this loss of self and freedom.  I however, have a different understanding of the problem.   The light in our eyes grows dim when we hand away or abandon our creativity, individuality and inspiration for foolish reasons.   So many perform this great sacrifice and self-destruction for others, for material things, or worst of all, in the name of the common good and collective interest.   The music inside each of us goes silent only when we willingly give it away.   And the great tragedy is that almost all who perform this deliberate act trade their inner candle for the most trivial of trinkets, or for nothing of value at all.  We can and should blame only ourselves when we willingly commit to a life amongst the shadows and lost faces.  I can think of very few reasons grave enough to warrant the sacrifice.   For those who now live in the dark fog that is our modern predicament, I invite you to reclaim what is rightfully yours - your birthright.  It is time to make music once again; your music.  Let's make it together my friends.