ilovemylife: MOMENTS THAT DEFINE YOUR LIFE

Manet and his Daughter

When I listen to music, there is always a favorite place in the music that I love. Take Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, I especially like the 3rd movement, Adagio molto e cantabile and the 4th movements "other worldly" climax where the chorus comes in with the Ode to Joy. On any CD I have one or two favorite songs, that I play so many times that I think I'll ruin that part of the CD. I love certain scenes in movies or plays that only last a minute or two. And I am willing to sit through it all, if I need to just to get to those parts that I so adore and connect with. Or I buy the DVD and go right to that part.

And certain times and experiences in my life have the same loving hold on me. And my time in Avignon, France many years ago is such a stand-out in my life ~ that it will forever hold a special place in my heart and will share in the short list of the top best experiences of my life.

By chance or kismet, I got off the train in Avignon, France one day in the summer of 1974. And there I was in the middle of the Festival D'Avignon. And that night a stranger walked by me and asked me if I wanted to see something fantastic and I followed him inside to an outside performance of the Cuban National Ballet Company jazz dancing. It was a night that transcended limits of joy and gratitude to be a member of the human race. And that is special.

And this would never have happened if I lived my life safely and inside the "box" that I was raised to live inside. This happened to me the very first trip to Europe that I took because I was encouraged by a stranger I met on a train on Long Island who said he was a butterfly catcher. When in fact, he was a medical student at the time at Brown University. For six weeks, there I was on the best trip of my lifetime ~ by myself. When I got off the plane in Luxembourg, Luxembourg, I didn't even know where I was going next. Soon, I figured I wanted to go to Switzerland. Then every few days I decided what direction to take the train in next. In the end, I included Italy, Greece and Spain, back to Italy then headed back to the airport in Luxembourg, Luxembourg. I loved that fantastic 6 weeks of my life. The best experience! So grateful I followed Peter's advice.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik_75C1P_Ik
The Festival of Avignon, France 2007

I love my life.