A Young Man's Vows (8/23)

It’s a cool and rainy morning in Pingyao. Plans to stroll once more around this ancient city before heading to the airport thwarted, even though we do have umbrellas. My host Li showed me a little video about my next stop where I will be the next 7 days—Hangzhou. It has an impressive lake in the midst of it that looked quite beautiful and had me looking forward to walks and boat rides. But there is a catch. Weather prediction for next week in between 100 and 105 degrees EVERY DAY! Though I’ll be indoors teaching for much of it, still I hoped to get out and stroll around. Now having second thoughts. Don’t know if I’ve ever been in temperatures that high. 

 

In the midst of this travel, I have another little project of re-reading a book I wrote in 2021 that has been sitting on my desk. Combining journals from that time with present-day commentary, it’s the story of the trip my soon-to-be wife and I took around the world in 1978-79. In that memorable year, we traveled to England, Scotland, Germany, Italy, Greece, India (5 months there), Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Java (3 months there) and Japan, before returning back to our jobs at The San Francisco School, getting married, getting pregnant and naming our first daughter Kerala after the Indian state we lived in. It was a trip that echoed forward into the 40 plus years to come that we taught at the school. Reliving it in this re-reading, I’m astounded by my 27-year-old self that predicted everything that would follow. Just one of many examples from a journal entry: 

 

Jan. 12, 1979— trying to clearly define my vision in two sentences, came up with this:

 

1) To teach music effectively, coherently and joyfully in a primary oral tradition working through the body and voice.

 

2) To cultivate one’s own expression from the foundation of the world’s music, creating a personal voice in appreciation of each peoples’ voice. 

 

Yep. A clear description of why I’m here in China, still trying to realize and expand and deepen that vision. And why this year, I also taught in Brazil, Hong Kong, Vietnam, England, Austria, Ghana, Tennessee and California. Counting Australia last year, that’s six continents of work and play doing what I can to create joyful community and creative expression. While still leaving some time to just stroll through new places and soak up a bit of their character, be it in cool rain or excessive heat. 

 

Next stop—Hangzhou.