Musitorial, noun, a mashup of musics, musings and editorials: music and song that evoke thought and commentary.
I recently learned (via Facebook, no less), that the Clydesdale horse was first bred in Scotland. Duh, of course it was! I should have been able to make the obvious connection, especially having been on the banks of the River Clyde many, many times, and in Scotland more generally many more times than that. Funny, that even something obvious does not connect sometimes. I sometimes wonder if my synapses[1] don’t always snap together or maybe they snap altogether.
Now I know.
I used to spend a lot of time around horses. In my humble opinion, they are perhaps the second most beautiful of creations (don’t ask). For a number of years, I made a great number of photographs of horses, mostly at harness racing tracks but also at exhibitions and private stables. Horses bred for racing are high-spirited creatures, and I had to step carefully whenever in or near their space.
But heavy horses like the Clydesdale (and others) I generally found to be very gentle creatures. I speculate that they know they could very quickly have the upper hand, and so don’t have to be noisy or bullish. They don’t have to be aggressive. They don’t have to throw their weight around. Their sheer size is an implied threat that deters potential abuse at the hands of others. The giant horse doesn’t have to contest the authority of its human “masters,” and it knows it.
High strung and spirited horses tend to paw and stomp the ground around them, and they need to be subdued in order to have them do your bidding. Heavy horses could do the same, but they don’t. They just stand there and are respected. Some people are like that too. To bad it’s not a trait shared by all.
I recall hearing a quote that is often misattributed to Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948),[2] but apparently spoken by Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin (1807-1874), a French lawyer, politician and journalist, who when questioned how it was that he followed the will of the people, he reportedly replied, “Ah well! I am their leader, I really ought to follow them!”[3]
Power, real power, doesn’t have to be heavy handed. Further, true power (and respect) can be exercised to the benefit of all without declaring war. War is the violent expression of insecurity.
We live in interesting times, the potential of which are of almost limitless mutual benefit, IF we aren’t reduced to belligerence or avarice on the part of individual leaders or nations.
Obviously, there’s another kind of strength to consider, and it’s every bit as powerful. It’s the kind of strength that come out in character, a strength that belies physicality and still wins races.
Today’s musitorial selection is “Stand!” by Sly and The Family Stone (1969, Stand! Sly and the Family Stone, prod. Sly Stone, Epic).
Stand
In the end, you'll still be you
One that's done all the things you set out to do
Enjoy!
=30=
Link to Genius for the lyrics (and “play” link) for “Stand!” : https://genius.com/Sly-and-the-family-stone-stand-lyrics
Link to Wikipedia entry about the Clydesdale horse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clydesdale_horse
Link to Wikipedia entry about Gandhi (1869-1948): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahatma_Gandhi
Link to Wikipedia entry about Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin (1807-1874): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Auguste_Ledru-Rollin
Link to Wikipedia entry on by Sly and The Family Stone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sly_and_the_Family_Stone
[1] Synapse - a junction between two nerve cells, consisting of a minute gap across which impulses pass by diffusion of a neurotransmitter (Britannica).
[2] Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British rule, and to later inspire movements for civil rights and freedom across the world (Wikipedia.org).
[3] "Eh! je suis leur chef, il fallait bien les suivre" (translated as: "Ah well! I am their leader, I really ought to follow them!") (Wikipedia.org).
