Re-creation

"It is always difficult to give oneself up; few persons anywhere ever succeed in doing so, and even fewer transcend the possessive stage to know love for what it actually is: a perpetual discovery, an immersion in the waters of reality, and an unending re-creation" (Octavio Paz, The Labyrinth of Solitude, Mexican Masks, pg. 42).

The Labyrinth of Solitude is a collection of essays concerning Mexican identity. Paz claims that the Mexican feels a need to protect himself, to build a wall around his inner feelings. However, the fiesta is described as a time when society communes and the Mexican escapes from himself and lets everything out. "It is a true re-creation" (Paz 52). I found it interesting that Paz used the same term, "re-creation," to describe both the fiesta and the feeling of love. While the fiesta is a one time escape, a loving relationship can be an "unending re-creation."

Spencer W. Kimball said, “Love is like a flower, and, like the body, it needs constant feeding... love, also, cannot be expected to last forever unless it is continually fed with portions of love, the manifestation of esteem and admiration, the expressions of gratitude, and the consideration of unselfishness.”

Growing up we had a corner garden where we grew flowers. It took daily care to keep this garden flourishing.

One year, we neglected our garden, and the flowers were all taken over by tall grasses. These weeds block the sunlight, and they steal water and nutrients from the ground. Companionship is the sunlight of life. Paz said love is "an immersion in the waters of reality."  We feel a sense of purpose and joy when we are able to connect with others, and we can come to know ourselves more truly. Shutting out the people around us only inhibits us from growing to our full potential, just as these weeds inhibit flowers.

Once the weeds dominated, we had to spend hours chopping the grass, then covering the roots with newspaper and soil that would smother them. Just like the fiesta is described as a time to let everything out, we had to give our everything to reclaim that garden. 

When we give our garden daily love, the flowers grow to their full potential and are beautiful throughout the season. Every day is a fresh start for them to grow higher and bloom more fully. Each of us needs this re-creation,  this feeling of a fresh start, this nourishment that comes from companionship. When we learn to love others and let others in, our life can continually bloom into something more beautiful and fulfilling.

Finding Yourself Through Music

"The orchestra not only transforms the public that hears it. Before transforming the public that is listening, it has already transformed itself" (Tocar y Luchar. Dir. Alberto Arvelo. Cinema Sur and Explorart Films, 2006. Film).

Tocar y Luchar is a documentary about the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System, a network of hundreds of orchestras throughout Venezuela. This film focuses on how the system has affected participants, "feeding their souls" and transforming them into people who can better lift society.

Watching the kids' dedication reminded me of the scripture, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it" (Matthew 25:16 King James Version). Practicing an instrument faithfully does require losing yourself: shutting out distractions and giving the instrument total attention. As a pianist, I know that hearing a song once is completely different from hearing the song after practicing it time and time again. You become familiar with the song's intricacies. You know what to expect and recognize more fine details in playing techniques. You come to see the music in a different light.

But the Savior was referring to losing yourself in the service of others, while practicing a musical instrument can be very individual.

The Venezuelan Orchestras exemplify such service. They serve their listening audiences. They serve each other through the teamwork required to play as a group. The musicians listen and respond to each other, working for the group to create harmony and union of sound.

The biggest service, however, is from the teachers. Indeed, the majority of teachers are former students of the program. "They understand both the social and musical mission of the program — they nurture both the individual person and the musician at the same time. Teachers are able to provide individual attention to each student. If they notice a child has missed a second day at the nucleo without prior notice, they often go to the home to inquire about the absence" (http://elsistemausa.org/el-sistema/venezuela/). Such teachers remember the impact music had on them growing up. They might hear a melody, or see someone's facial expression, and remember the thrill of learning. They delight in witnessing others improve as a result of their teaching. It inspires them to continue reaching for something higher and helping others do the same. Such teachers "find themselves."

Me with my piano teacher, Betty Alexander

A Leap of Faith

"She saw the beautiful fields of Ipu, the slopes of the sierra where she was born, Araquém's hut, and felt longing; but even at that instant she did not regret having abandoned them" (Alencar, Iracema, 93).

The Brazilian novel Iracema tells the story of the relationship between the beautiful indigenous woman Iracema and the Portuguese soldier Martim. After a while, Martim began to long for his homeland of Portugal. He searched the seas for white sails and thought constantly on the land of his "brothers." Iracema also looked back sometimes and missed her tribe and homeland, but she never regretted having left. She never hoped to return, even through all her suffering. Why this difference between Martim's and Iracema's desires?

In considering this, I thought of other situations where people have missed distant homelands. In 19th century China, many women had to leave their families to join their husbands' households. In this society, "a marriage [was] not made by choice and [had] only one purpose — to have sons" (Lisa See, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan).

(Clip from Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, film)

Unlike such women, Iracema did make the choice to be with Martim because she loved him and she did not want to become the wife of the warrior Irapuã. But in going with Martim, she chose to separate from her tribe forever, similar to the way Chinese women had to separate from their families.

"Iracema", painting by Antônio Parreiras

In different ways, marriage has always required a leap of faith. Throughout history, this leap has been especially great for women, who have often cut ties with their families to follow love or to marry. I think Iracema knew that she was taking the risk of suffering or being left alone. To her, that risk was worth it for the happiness she could possibly have with Martim. That is why she never regretted her decision.



Martim, on the other hand, never took this same risk. He could still return to European society and be accepted. He was also accepted by Poti and the Pitiguaras. Since he had all those other sources of belonging, he did not rely on Iracema as completely as she did him. He put less out on the line from the start, so he turned more readily back to the homeland he had known before.

Landscapes of Life

Velasco, José María, The Valley of Mexico from the Low Ridge of Tacubaya (1894)

José María Velasco was a 19th century Mexican painter known for his love of nature and landscapes. He trained with the Italian artist Eugenio Landesio, but moved from painting an "ideal nature" to a more natural effect.

While observing Velasco's landscapes, I started to think about what scenes I would want to preserve. I tried to imagine not having the luxury of modern photography to capture images. There is one scene I know I would never want to forget: 

View of Mt. Rainier from Enumclaw, WA

This landscape is beautiful, but to me, it is more than that. It is the memory of driving home from school and turning the corner where it first comes into view. It is the memory of daydreaming on my trampoline while gazing at the mountain. From nearly everywhere in my hometown, Mt. Rainier is visible and glorious. I associate this mountain with all my experiences under its shadow. What did Velasco experience under the mountains of Mexico that made that scenery so significant to him? Was it just its beauty that attracted him? If so, he would likely have looked for beautiful scenes in Europe and other countries. Indeed, Velasco traveled to Europe and tried painting with the Impressionistic technique, but on returning to Mexico, he returned again to the natural themes portraying the landscape of his homeland. When emotions are tied up in the subject matter, the artist is more passionate and paints with purpose.

Our book relates his paintings to nationalistic attempts to "[strengthen] the idea of Mexico as a nation." But I believe that Mexico already was a nation to Velasco. It was his nation. I believe his painting was more than an attempt to create a Mexican identity through artwork. The more natural rendering was an attempt to preserve the image of the Mexican identity that already existed in the landscape of daily life.