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So, today I'm thinking a lot about strength and gentleness. I thought about guns for a while, due to various folks' diaries, but decided not to talk about them much. I prefer killing people who want to hurt me with my bare hands, anyway. (My only contribution to the debate: people who own guns for "self defense" MUST be willing to take responsibility for killing an assailant. Read Paxton Quigley's "Armed and Female" or any of Massad Ayoob's books.) No, I was thinking about the Toho Koto Orchestra. These ladies are mostly of Japanese ancestry, and are tiny, delicate-looking women. For their concert, they all wore gorgeous silk kimono, many with brocade or embroidered obi. I tried very hard not to stare too much at their clothes during the reception after their concert. The koto they play are enormous chunks of wood with sixteen long, tough strings. Playing koto requires strength and endurance. One must also play with grace and delicacy. Last Friday, I heard amazing, deep chords from a huge koto, followed by some of the most ethereal whispers of sound I've ever heard. All were made by a serene slip of a woman who looked like a porcelain doll. She combined great strength and passion with beauty and grace in a way I'll never be able to achieve. I wish I were always serene and graceful, especially under duress. I wish I could be both strong and kind, when sometimes my strength expresses itself as harshness. I know I am sometimes overly passionate when I should moderate my responses. Maybe I should learn to play koto. |
 
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Strong