For the following to make any sense to you, I must explain what this performer means to me. Do any of you have a favorite artist? For older members, perhaps it is The Beatles or Elvis. If you are younger, you might dream of attending a live performance of Shania Twain or Eminemwhatever your most desired fantasy performance.
Classical music being my foremost passion, Itzhak Perlman is, IMHO, the greatest living violinist. (Isaac Stern died just after Sept. 11) Im somewhat of a groupie, having all of his CDs (quite a number of albums on vinyl) and I can usually identify him as the artist with one ear tied behind my back.
Thus, you can begin to understand how devastated I was to learn I could not get tickets for his recital performance which happened to coincide with my birthday. I put in my ticket order back in May and as a (limited) season-ticket holder to the symphony, I thought for sure Id have at least decent seats to this event. The symphony did not notify me until two weeks ago that my order was never filled, due to overwhelming demand. When I found out I wasnt going, I actually cried. Dammit, I deserved to be there!
Being the stoic individual I am, I soon put this behind me and tried to get over it. I made other plans for my birthday and put away the killer outfit Id purchased for the occasion.
This morning, I got a call from the symphony ticket office. A block of seats had been released and they still had my unfulfilled order on file. I was offered and of course took fantastic seatsRow H, floor level, center. Ill be close enough to flash the man, should I decide to.
Now, heres the thing. As recently as 5 years ago, Id have prayed for this to happen, without any guilt whatsoever. Jehovah owed me this. I would not have felt the least bit of reserve about asking for such a favor from my God. Then, if events unfolded exactly as they have, I would have been utterly convinced that Jehovah intervened in my behalf. It would have been compelling proof that Jehovah is the Grand Answerer of Prayer.
Where do the hopes of angostics and other skeptics fit in? Who do I credit for this wonderful boon? Who would I have blamed if it had not occurred? As I sit in rapture Monday night, listening to the exquisit perfection of Itzhaks fingers on the Stradwho do I thank?
Maybe Ill just sit out by the stage door and throw a hotel key in his general direction. I hear hes happily married and has 12 kids. Now, thats injustice!!!
Isnt it strange how the Universe functions quite well without divine intervention? Bad stuff happens, good stuff happens, and we dont have a prayer of changing it.
Wasa/ believing in the power of whatever gets her front row center