Scoundrels at the Symphony

     Classical music is one of the best forms of music on the planet. Often the composers are just as complex as their pieces. Watching a symphony can be a great experience, unless it is tarnished by those around you.

     Last November, my friend, Liza and her husband, Declan, joined friends to see Brahms pieces performed by the local symphony orchestra. They had amazing seats and were ready to take in a night of culture. Too bad the others weren't. Seated to Liza's left were another married couple.

    "Do you know a lot about classical music?" the wife asked Liza.

     "I know a little bit."

     "Do you know if Brahms' wife had an affair with another composer? I'd heard that and I wasn't sure."

     Liza was dumbfounded. Who asks that? Most importantly, who cares? Liza politely told her she didn't know anything about it. This lady was only getting started. During the performance, she asked her husband for a pen. Liza, being the optimist that she is, thought she was taking notes. Instead, the wife took out a Sudoku puzzle book and started straight away at one of the puzzles.

     By the time intermission started, Liza was ready for a break. When she headed downstairs to grab quick refreshments, she was startled. Most of the people were dressed completely inappropriately. By this, I mean flannel shirts

 and jeans. Keep in mind that this was at the symphony not a Nirvana tribute concert. Those not wearing jeans only had on khakis in their place.

When the intermission was over, Liza decided to block out the nonsense around her and focus on the music. She let the music paint lush landscapes in her mind and ended up having a wonderful evening.

Whether you're at the symphony or on your porch, the behavior of others can be jarring. The best thing to do is keep moving forward and enjoy the world around you.