Driving Thoughts III

• On my way home, I was listening to Manchester Orchestra. I marveled at the originality of composition. These are new melodies and new sets of words that come from a perfectly ordinary person. (I know, because I met him and many like him.) For someone who loves art as much as I do, I often take for granted the miracle of artistic creation. What an extraordinary thing to make something beautiful and sophisticated from nearly nothing!
  
  
• I really hate when I make punctuation mistakes on my blog.
  
  
• I hate Florida. It is an ugly, cultural wasteland--or so I whine--but I love my job. In an irritating moment of truth, a friend pointed out to me that I don't get Montverde Academy without Florida. Furthermore, I suspect I wouldn't appreciate my job so much if I didn't hate Florida as much as I do. If I hadn't come from a horrible administration, would I really appreciate mine so much? If I hadn't had the anti-students, would I really be as glad for the sometimes-mediocre set I have now? If my artistic well weren't so dry, would I really enjoy all that I read and learn at school so much? It seems pretty unlikely. It's really a delightful thing to be aware of one's gratitude. Gratitude begets joy. I just don't really think I'd select for myself the progression of misery->gratitude-> joy.