A Sheltered World Breeds A Sheltered Mind

A sheltered world breeds a sheltered mind. Exposure to life via food and art open us up to appreciate experiences larger than our world of self, parents and people we hang out with. I got to thinking about Jazz music in this light after reading of Dave Brubeck’s passing.

Jazz music can refer to a number of genres. I enjoy jazz of the type played by Brubeck. I wasn’t raised listening to jazz music. I had little knowledge of jazz or what it was for my formative years. I had friends who listened to jazz. In college I took an intro to jazz class. I was acquiring a taste.

Jazz like theatre of any sort is best experienced live. A friend of mine had seen a review of the best jazz clubs in Los Angeles and decided that we should visit them. A few of them were in Inglewood and environs. In a few of the clubs we were the only white boys present. This was in small scale compared to a full scale trip we would do later; following the roots of jazz up the Mississippi through New Orleans and north to Chicago.

My addiction to coffee evolved similarly. An enjoyable first encounter followed by quality experiences. Today I’m a coffee snoot.

I have a sixteen year old daughter that keeps me from being insulated in my little world. I am exposed to music I wouldn’t choose to listen to. I watch video clips that I’d be clueless about, “YOLO.” Still I have to fight stagnation. I get older and it gets harder to push the envelope. To grow into an interesting adult I must continue to stretch and grow. Comfort and complacency make for shallow boring adults. Time to face the music and live.