Simply Do

~I arrived home this evening after work to the musical sounds of my neighbor playing the oboe. All I ever hear her playing is the same scale over and over. And as soon as I heard the oboe playing tonight, my immediate thought was, “how sad, playing the oboe on a Friday night.” 

~Then I promptly sat down on the couch, opened my computer, and began to write my novel. Within seconds I thought of how hypocritical my judgement was. Though I have lived next door to my neighbor for half a year now, I know hardly anything about her. The reality hit me that perhaps she was at home playing the oboe because that is what she loves. After all, someone isn’t a professional oboist if they don’t delight in the sensation of running their fingers up and down and blowing on that reed. 

~Similar to how I find I enjoy writing. All I ever hear her play is a scale. Thus I am clueless to her actual talent. All this to say that she might not actually be any good at the oboe, but she still plays. It might turn out that I am not a very talented writer, but regardless, I continue to write. Every time she plays that scale she probably excels in her playing skills; just as every time I write I find new ways to get my point across. 

~Writing, playing the oboe, knitting, reading, playing a sport, cooking, running, sewing, exploring, traveling, studying, eating, photography, learning, teaching, laughing, dancing, acting, painting, gardening, building, sailing, healing . . . This world is not just full of things to fill up a Friday evening, but of things we can love. People find enjoyment in all sorts of passions.   And if an interest comes your way it is important to go for it. We aren’t all overly talented people. We might not be the next Jane Austen, Michael Phelps, or Kenny G. This is irrelevant, because I say who cares. Engaging in our interests is done for our happiness, not the appraisal of anyone else. 

~ Living life shying away from our interests just because we might not be very talented is utterly ridiculous. Happiness comes from the doing, therefore that happiness will never come if we don’t simply do.