Duets
Several weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a 50th anniversary celebration for some acquaintances of mine. I don’t really know these folks all that well, but they are great people, and as a couple are dedicated to their passion for music. The entire evening was filled with great songs, good food and drink, and toasts and well earned and deserved compliments and praise. It was a hell of a party.
During one of the musical presentations, another couple who were good friends of the guests of honor, stepped up to the microphone to offer a very special gift. I will call them Ted and Julia, who themselves are well into transition from middle age to the golden years. Julia, who has some physical problems, sat down on a chair. Ted stood by her side, with his arm on her shoulder. Together, they sang two madrigals, a cappella, to celebrate their friends’ anniversary. It was simple and unadorned, and a little shaky, but heartfelt through and through. Ted and Julia honored the anniversary couple with their song; but to me, it appeared they were celebrating their own lives.
Although I have only known the anniversary couple a short while, I have known, at least by reputation, Ted and Julia for years and years. They are a walking encyclopedia of mid 20th Century left wing philosophy and thought. They are my political antithesis. Yet they have my respect for being true believers in the cause, and my admiration for being people of true and honest conviction.
These are no check book liberals clothed in hypocrisy. These folks are the real McCoy. They are both lawyers, and use the law as a tool for their vision of social justice. They love the law for what it can do for everyday folk. They know the law as the great equalizer, and practice for the love of the profession and humanity, not monetary gain. They are the personification of all that is good about the legal profession.
They weren’t afraid to get down and dirty all over the country, and the world. Anti war protests, they were there. Civil rights marches, they were there. Union clashes, they were there…always standing for their beliefs, unafraid even if it meant going to jail. Even in retirement, they are still pursuing social justice by representing indigent prisoners whom they believe to be wrongly convicted. These folks are living and breathing history.
It was my honor to sit next to Ted at the party, and we had a very enjoyable discussion about our differences, and more importantly, our commonality. True liberals and true conservatives have one big thing in common, and that is our mutual belief in the rights and dignity of man, and human values that make life worth living. Our approaches may differ, but the goals are the same.
Most importantly, Ted and Julia can teach all of us that at the end of the day, lives well-lived should be celebrated with a song. How many of the rest of us will be able to celebrate our lives by standing at a microphone and singing a duet?
During one of the musical presentations, another couple who were good friends of the guests of honor, stepped up to the microphone to offer a very special gift. I will call them Ted and Julia, who themselves are well into transition from middle age to the golden years. Julia, who has some physical problems, sat down on a chair. Ted stood by her side, with his arm on her shoulder. Together, they sang two madrigals, a cappella, to celebrate their friends’ anniversary. It was simple and unadorned, and a little shaky, but heartfelt through and through. Ted and Julia honored the anniversary couple with their song; but to me, it appeared they were celebrating their own lives.
Although I have only known the anniversary couple a short while, I have known, at least by reputation, Ted and Julia for years and years. They are a walking encyclopedia of mid 20th Century left wing philosophy and thought. They are my political antithesis. Yet they have my respect for being true believers in the cause, and my admiration for being people of true and honest conviction.
These are no check book liberals clothed in hypocrisy. These folks are the real McCoy. They are both lawyers, and use the law as a tool for their vision of social justice. They love the law for what it can do for everyday folk. They know the law as the great equalizer, and practice for the love of the profession and humanity, not monetary gain. They are the personification of all that is good about the legal profession.
They weren’t afraid to get down and dirty all over the country, and the world. Anti war protests, they were there. Civil rights marches, they were there. Union clashes, they were there…always standing for their beliefs, unafraid even if it meant going to jail. Even in retirement, they are still pursuing social justice by representing indigent prisoners whom they believe to be wrongly convicted. These folks are living and breathing history.
It was my honor to sit next to Ted at the party, and we had a very enjoyable discussion about our differences, and more importantly, our commonality. True liberals and true conservatives have one big thing in common, and that is our mutual belief in the rights and dignity of man, and human values that make life worth living. Our approaches may differ, but the goals are the same.
Most importantly, Ted and Julia can teach all of us that at the end of the day, lives well-lived should be celebrated with a song. How many of the rest of us will be able to celebrate our lives by standing at a microphone and singing a duet?
Comments