"I regret that I have but one life to give for my country." Democracy, which often being taken for granted, is not something that happened overnight. Behind democracy lies the deaths of countless brave souls, who sacrificed themselves for the ultimate dream – freedom. Thus, participating in this year’s Veterans' Day concert really is the LEAST I can do to express my gratitude to those who put patriotism before selfism.
As I started singing the first number, “Waking Up America” with the choir, I just realized how lucky I am to live in a time where the possibility of war only exists in my imagination. In fact, I don’t think any of us in this generation could even have a perfect understanding of what war is without actually experiencing the endless grief and the incurable pain of war. Perhaps some people have this wrong perception that the world has always been like this – so peaceful and prosperous, they fail to see the high price that leads to where we are now. Life really does require sacrifices, and every one of us should be extremely grateful that we are not the ones that make such sacrifices. The war veterans are indeed not forgotten and are appreciated.
Among the many numbers that the choir performed, my favorite has to be "Follow the Drinking Gourd." The music by itself is absolutely amazing. Singing this song, I was overwhelmed with emotion, thinking about the countless slaves who have never gotten to experience freedom – a right that we take for granted. "And the old man is crying, and the old man is singing," I felt like I could hear the desperate and hopeless cry. It’s incredible what music can do to a soul, and what better way to deliver my appreciation and thankfulness to those veterans than through music. Anyone can sing the right pitch and lyrics, but emotion is what adds the real meaning to music.
On another note, I just finished watching the movie "American Beauty" on HBO. Just how the heck did that movie win an Oscar for best picture? Though the movie does an excellent job portraying the family struggles, self-realization and pursuit of happiness, some of the material is purely unethical and disturbing in my personal view. Furthermore, this has to be one of the most pessimistic films I have seen in a while. Maybe I'm just dumb, but I still don't see how the film is somehow related to its theme - American beauty. Sure, a lot of classic movies require thinkings after watching them, the ending for "American Beauty" is too philosophical for me. I do, however, find Wes Bentley, who plays Ricky Fitts in the film, rather attractive.
