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Last week I organised another fundraising concert for my four friends who are going to Toulouse next year for further studies. They were rehearsing at my place a few days before, then we all went on stage Saturday evening and had tremendous fun. I think we never had that much fun before. The first concert was scary for the three of them (as one stuck in Yogya and couldn't make it to Bandung) because they never gave official public performance for as long as they live. The second was their first performance as quartet, so everyone was uptight. But the third was really enjoyable. I asked them to change formation, and as a result they had stronger first violinist who was more able to lead the pack. The pieces they played were technically within their grasp, and everybody knew each other better so they were more at ease when we worked on the pieces. To make long story short, I was sitting like a proud mamma when they performed pieces by Bach, Ravel and Mozart because I really could feel that that night, for the first time, they were really feeling the music, trying to convey a message and not be bothered by stage fright. And we got some magic moments. By the time I lock the backstage door of the auditorium, adrenaline were still flowing, everyone was in high spirit, and we ended the day with dinner and a lot of picture taking and laughing.
That night I had a feeling that I had come to some sort of destination. And I arrived safely, in a glorious state of mind. There were so many accomplishments that night, not just for me, but also for them. I know it. I know that they realize that, as musicians, they need to perform as much as they can. The stage is one of the most important place for them to grow and develop. I know that they were proud of themselves, too, because they did a great job by immersing themselves in music. I can tell that they feel that the more they got up on stage, the lesser anxiety they will have in the future. And they know how to prepare themselves well. There's so much to learn and to bring home after a performance, and finally, I can get them to understand all these.
But what brings me more happiness is that I know there'll be more and more destinations to go to, and everything is always stationary until, literally, death do us part from this world. And knowing the fact that I can feel so elevated as I reach a temporary post makes me look forward to reaching another post. And there's always something waiting at the end of the journey, something that changes life. It might not bring happiness, but even so, it will be transitory.
And that is why, I'm posting the picture above. I'd like to learn to be a good traveller by letting go fix plans, because I know that even without them, I will still be on the road...to somewhere. It's not the destination that matters, but the journey. A good traveller knows that it's that journey that makes one happy. And that is always more important than anything else in life.
