Fundamental

One of my favorite quotations is a song lyric whose eight words are filled with reassurance: “The fundamental things apply as time goes by”.

This well-known adage comes from the song “As Time Goes By” which was sung by Dooley Wilson in the 1942 film, “Casablanca”. It was written in 1931 by Herman Hupfeld but did not gain fame until the Bogart/Bergman movie.

The song is a reminder that a few things are unchanging, at least in the short span of a human life. These things keep operating oblivious to our people problems such as Covid and Constitutional crises, and are like anti-venom for hard times.

Take the seasons, for example. They just keep coming round, each bringing unique joys. With summer in full bloom at this moment, the fields are patchworks of green and gardens are technicolor wonders.

And then there is music, the great lifter of spirits. Even in the worst of times, music always breaks through. Conversely, happy times become happier with the addition of music. Nietzsche summed it up concisely: “Without music life would be a mistake.”

Two more daily doses of joy are the sunrise and sunset. Being a night person, I’m a staunch member of The Sunset Club. I have a perfect view from my front deck; only the bagpiper is missing. My husband has MacGregor genes in his ancestry, but he has thus far resisted my suggestion that he should learn to play the pipes. The sun will still set. It’s fundamental.

Here’s a video taken from our front porch of a splendid performance by el sol (click photo to play).

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