It’s time to take Vivaldi for our quarterly walk. Four times a year I spend forty five minutes listening to his violin concerto at a place painted with seasonal elements. When I worked in the city, I’d sit on the same park bench near Buckingham fountain. Lately I’ve been walking down the river path in town.
The two adjectives in the grabber section describe the first concerto from “Four Seasons,” Spring. The section of the three hundred year old masterpiece written for this time of the year.
I’m an adjective kind of guy. Schoolhouse Rock had us unpack or adjectives to describe things.
Many people today use pronouns to help describe what they are. I use adjectives to explain who I am. My signature on my personal email says, “Redbeans and ricely yours, John S. Shepley (grateful/gregarious). Two words that describe me best.
Adjectives have substance and are inviting. Pronouns are cold and defensive.
Back to Tony from Venice… We have gone on walks on rainy days when the trees are starting to bud. We have sat in the shade on hot summer days. We've gazed at the autumnal colors on windy overcast afternoons and we have briskly trampled along snow covered trails.
If you pick up anything from your years reading the Chalkboard, get into the habit of enjoying a walk with Vivaldi listening to his “Four Seasons.” Make sure to go to the same location for at least two years. Eight walks viewing the same place, but under different conditions.
For many years I sat at the same bench on the southeast corner looking at the fountain with the skyline behind it and the lake over my shoulder.
I’d always walk over to Miller’s Pub and have a drink to conclude my quarterly quest. A cold beer in the spring. A gin and tonic in the summer. A manhattan in the fall and a “Tom and Jerry” in wintertime.
Spring is springing before our eyes. The days are longer and our shadows shorter. It’s perfect to go watch shit do stuff and Vivaldi makes shit doing stuff mo betta’.
Have a splendid Tuesday daydream and don’t forget to be kind to hims, hers and those people.
