The Mahler in us all

My name is Charis.  I have a husband, three children, a son-in-law, a cat, a house, and a VW Golf GTI named Gustav.  Gustav is a recent acquisition.  I found him in a town 60 miles away, took him for a spin on the freeway, and it's been true love ever since.  My husband was bemused when I announced my car's name.  "Is that after Holst or Mahler?" he asked.

Mahler - of course!

"That seems an incongruous choice for a such a small car," he replied, "to share a name with the titan of symphonic composers.  To listen to just one of Mahler's symphonies requires a lunch break and a nap halfway through.  Don't you think Webern would be better?"

No.  My car, diminutive in body though it may be, is a giant at heart.  It dreams of road rallies, drag racing, grand touring.  I can sense this when I sit behind the wheel.  My little GTI has a Mahlerian soul.

Gustav Mahler was born an Austrian Jew in Bohemia during a time in which it was difficult to be an Austrian in Bohemia or a Jew in Austria.  He too, was diminutive in body, topping out around 5'2".  Despite his small physical stature and status as an outsider where ever he went, he had a giant spirit, a soul of Goliath proportions that revealed itself in his extravagant, voluptuous symphonies and songs that tackled themes no less monumental than the meaning of life, the humanity of man, and eternity.  He was born with a heart defect that would cause a much-too-early death at age 50, yet he didn't hesitate to wrestle in his music with the eschatological questions that perplex many a creative mind.  To listen to his music is to experience change.  You cannot be the same person after hearing a Mahler symphony.  He was a true colossus, regardless of body size.

I have friends with Mahlerian souls.  One in particular, who is about Mahler's size, is "just" a teacher.  And yet she believes music can change the world.  She'll take 100 children from disadvantaged backgrounds who only know "Macarena" and the "Cha Cha Slide," teach them a 90 minute children's opera, put them in costume, place them on stage, and produce a show worthy of acclaim.  The children are changed.  They are not the same after one of her productions.  She's a giant in the lives of those children.

I believe most people aspire to greatness, not greatness of fame or stature, but greatness of humanity.  However humble our station in life, we each want to be a spark, a light, the one who will make a difference.  We all have enormous symphonies in our hearts that want to be heard.  We all want to touch someone, even if it's only one.  So here's a cheer for all the people in the world who are "just" teachers, "just" garbage collectors, "just" real estate agents, or "just" secretaries, for all the people who go about their everyday lives hoping that they can influence change for the better.  Deep inside they have a great spirit, a Mahlerian soul.  I salute you.

Gustav the composer

Gustav the car