MTC #192 - The White Coat

The choir members who know me, know that my least favorite suit coat to wear is the white one. I cringe every time I arrive at the Conference Center and realize that I have to wear it.  

The funny thing is, there are a lot of people (both in and out of the choir) who actually like the white coat. Even this afternoon when I walked into church, the usher game me a smile and said, "You all looked so great in your white coats today!" I smiled back, of course, but couldn't quite agree with his assessment. 

It got me thinking, though, that everyone is different. People like different things and have their own opinions of what tastes good, what sounds good, and what looks good. And just because those opinions may not match up with mine sometimes, that's OK. There's plenty of room for varying opinions--which, at the very least--should be respected. 

When I was little, one of my favorite story books, according to my mother, was one titled "How Joe the Bear and Sam the Mouse Got Together." When Joe and Sam first met, they quickly discovered that while they had the same goals and generally enjoyed doing the same things, there were plenty of differences. Joe liked a big house, Sam liked a little one. Joe liked to play football, while Sam liked baseball. Joe liked to ride a bike slowly, while Sam liked to ride his fast. Given all these differences, they were about to part ways. But then they passed an ice cream shop and came to realize that there was one thing they could agree on: they both loved all sorts of ice cream! The book ends with Joe and Sam doing their own thing most of the time. But everyday, at 3:00, they would come to the ice cream parlor and enjoy ice cream together.


While the white coat is not my favorite, there are plenty of other people watching the choir, who love it. And I should just be grateful (and I am) that I get to wear the coat in the first place! Because each Sunday, at 9:30, audience members from around the world and performers from all walks of life, have the great opportunity to put aside other things in their lives and simply enjoy beautiful music, together. 

And what a great thing that is.

Until next time, God be with you.