Manchester High School - Somanhis Yearbook (Manchester, CT)

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22 SOMANHIS EVENTS thrills, and exquisite marvels of sound that pass “over their heads,” so to speak! There is the pale, nervous amateur critic who rumples his hair with one hand and scribbles furiously with the other; near by is a sophisticated, ex- perienced one; farther back, perhaps, is a row of boarding-school girls all of whom are there because they are required to attend. Not so with the true music lovers to whom it is an incentive, a source of inspiration. They are the struggling musicians, composers, and teachers who will take any seat that circumstance affords. Blissfully unconscious of the stuffy, perfume-laden air, and the surrounding throng of spectators, they remain breathless, rapt, and eager throughout the performance. Theirs is a perfect, voluntary attention which allows nothing to escape unnoticed or unheard, Last, but not least come the tired ones who, although they may not be familiar with technicalities, are appreciative of the mental relaxation it affords them, Reinald Werrinrath, a noted baritone, recently said, “The most import- ant work to which the Musical Clubs of America can devote themselves is to educate the American people to a keener appreciation of good music, of whatever form or nationality.” Right here in school we have a course called Music Appreciation and Harmony, which seems to have just that aim. It is not only an understanding of the fine arts that helps to make us the type of men and women we want to be. Daily occurrences must be met with intelligence, kindness, and courtesy. Every day someone does some- thing for somebody else; it may be a good word put in at exactly the right time, or it may be an obliging little self-sacrifice. Everyone likes to know that his or her efforts are valued. It is up to us to stop criticizing others, and to begin to express our appreciation. The person who can see the funny side of things is not easily discour- aged. He may suddenly be plunged into a sea of troubles, only to bob up smiling. We know that every cloud has its silver lining, and that the black- est misfortune often cloaks a rainbow-spangled hope,—a truth that we do not, however, appreciate until later. “T met a real optimist the other day,” said a physician, “a fellow to whom I certainly take off my hat. He had lost a leg in a railroad accident, and, when they picked him up, the first thing he said was, ‘Thank God, it was the leg with the rheumatism!’ ” Most of us who are familiar with the author, Bret Hart, recognize, as an outstanding trait, his habit of selecting characters of bad repute and bringing out their redeeming points. He knew that people are apt to judge each other too hastily—to jump at conclusions that have no foundation whatever. We often meet a person whom we instinctively dislike, and whose faults we magnify and dwell upon so incessantly that the being cre- ated in the imagination becomes grotesquely out of proportion to the original. We never take the trouble to discover in that person an admirable trait beside which his faults would fade into the background. You may bewail the fact that you have not as much money as you would like to have, nor as many influential friends, and wish that you were born anywhere but in a small town. Perhaps it is well to resign yourself

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SOMANHIS EVENTS 21 THE ART OF APPRECIATION You may not be an artist, but if you are capable of appreciating a real work of art, you do possess a genius which is very much akin to art it- self. There are persons whose unfailing sympathy and understanding make them generally beloved by all with whom they come in contact, and, with- out doubt, these people are the salt of the earth. What pleasure would there be in painting a splendid picture, in producing beautiful music, in giv- ing relief to those who need it—in doing anything worth while—if there were not someone who appreciated it! A little observation will reveal the fact that most artists are unappre- ciative. They frequently appear bored to the point of rudeness when the work of some fellow artist is being discussed, and are apt to receive an es- pecial favor with the merest thanks, accepting it only as a matter of course. The necessity of continually thinking about himself, and of how he is going to gain more recognition, and of what he is going to do with himself should anyone else get ahead of him, makes an artist a trifle self-centered, egotis- tical, and blind to the merits of others. When we consider the thousands in the profes sion, each with his own ambitions and jealousies, we wonder that he can withstand this tremendous amount of rivalry and competition and keep any of his fundamental good-nature! Then, too, the artist is markedly tempermental. Tradition assigns him this trait; but what makes him so? Do we realize the enormous amount of energy, enthusiasm, and stick-to-it-iveness needed to complete a picture of genuine worth? For weeks the artist has to search for inspiration and fill his mind with visions, and even while transferring his impressions to can- vas he must keep his emotions at white heat, or the work loses life,— ex- pression. Naturally all this leaves him worn and fagged, and without the surplus energy to enthuse over another's talents. Thus his power of ap- preciation is dulled thru sheer fatigue. He needs someone without jealousy or biased feeling to give the praise that is due. That “someone” is the non- professional confidante who possesses no art but that of appreciation. Dolly Madison was a woman of this desirable type. She was exceed- ingly popular in her vast circle of friends and acquaintances because of a good-natured, compassionate, self-forgetting trend of character. It made her a great help to her husband, James Madison, who was burdened with numerous duties and affairs of state throughout his political career. After a par ticularly harassing day he would attend one of Mrs. Madison's informal little drawing-room parties, listen to her animated chatter, and “emerge refreshed,” as he put it, to begin another round of duties. Everyone today knows more or less about music; nine out of every ten persons can play at least one musical instrument or sing to some kind of an accompaniment. But a comparatively small percent of the people of the United States enjoy or understand the classics. There are the familiar “orchestra circles” at concert or opera who at- tend mainly to keep up appearances or to show off their clothes. After se- curing the most expensive and conspicuous seats in the house, they give themselves over the pleasure of being bored. Think of the trills, and

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SOMANHIS EVENTS 23 to Inevitable Fate, but before so doing it might be wise to wake up and appreciate the advantages in the conditions which do exist. Lack of either money or influence cannot stop a young person with determination. The despised small town may be the very place in which to begin a career, its competition being approximately limited. You are never obliged to sur- render yourself to fate. for your fate can be what you choose to make it. Kemember that you are alive and in America, the Land of Opportunity. The ability to see and appreciate the good in everyone and in every condition is a mark of real intellectual superiority and broadmindedness, it is something that education alone cannot give, but which we must have in order to win the love, respect, and admiration of our fellow men. Dorothy Hanson '22, CHOOSING A VOCATION How shall I live? How shall T make the most of my life and spend it to the best advantage? How shall I become a man and do a man’s work? This, and not polities, trade or war, is the question which is facing the young man of the present day. One of the saddest things in the world is the sight of a young 1inan drifting aimlessly through life with no definite occuption, hoping that some day he may stumble into an easy job that will solve the question of mak- ing a living, Many persons get work by chance and continue doing the same ihing, until chance again turns them in a different direction. Each one of these is in no sense master of himself or of his destiny, but drifts about like a cork tossed from wave to wave on the high seas. Man was placed on the earth to subdue it, and he should have sufficient force of character to determine what part he will play in the world’s work. He who does not act for himself and develop initiative of his own, is no better than the beasts of the field. The “Jack of All Trades” who is so common in this world is usually the result of insufficient attention being given to the choice of a vocation. Here, as John D. Brewster truly states, “Vocational Guidance is Youth's Best Friend”, but it is only of late that the world at large has begun to realize this. When a young man ought to choose a career, he has usually had little experience and feels himself unable to make an intelligent choice, He has probably traveled but little, and his time has been spent doing only a few kinds of work. He very likely does not know much about the possibilities even of the work with which he 1s most familiar, He must stand looking into the future saying, “What shall 1 do?” His ideas regarding various kinds of work are distorted. He fails to understand true values, and thus he pictures to himself the bank clerk with a white collar and clean hands. The disadvantages of this type of work are entirely overlooked, It is, therefore, very important that young people should be guided and given help in their choice of a vocation. To Mr. Frank Parsons of the Vocation Bureau of the Civil Service Home of Boston is due the credit for introducing the methods of Vocation- al Guidance which have proved so valuable to other workers of the move- ment. The Y, M. C. A. and Y, W. C. A. organizations, together with cer- tain libraries and schools have instituted vocational bureaus in many im-