1. When a Beast Sits Beside You

Droopy eyes. I was dead tired.
I dragged my legs to my seat in the orchestra.
Slow music—great. I’ll try to stay awake.

The rehearsal began, and my stand partner was a no-show. The next day, I got a new one. Someone I’ve played with many times.

She’s awesome.

After almost 30 years of playing with orchestras, I can absolutely say she’s one of my favorite stand partners ever.

Oh, and she’s The Beast.

You’ve got to be a Beast to bring that kind of passion and love for playing. As a Capricorn, I admire people with ambition and discipline. But that energy—oh, that energy…

Two hours of slow music, and she didn’t flinch once.
Pure joy. Pure commitment. Pure fire.

Can you imagine what happens when we actually play interesting music?
The Beast turns into flame. But that’s another story.

What about me? Do I have that passion?

Well… I do, if you put me next to The Beast.

Sitting next to her transformed my whole experience. I wanted to be infected with her joy and passion. I wanted to turn into a hardcore Beast. Probably because it lives in me—and today, it was just tired.

But I believe The Beast lives in all of us.
Not only in our work or vocation, but in our families, our friendships, our quiet corners of life.

I turn into a Beast the moment someone talks about philosophy—especially Stoicism.

And sometimes, I turn into one just because another Beast sat beside me.

Tired Beasts need lively Beasts to wake them up.
It usually works, if the Beast inside is only asleep.

—

—From the festival of life.