I love seeing people do things well. Like watching great moves in a basketball game. Except for a layup, I don’t know what those moves are called, but I know they’re beautiful.

Any virtuoso performance has the potential to move us on account of its finesse. Great acting and musicianship come to mind. So do certain passages in poetry or novels that can take your breath away. Cormac McCarthy is the master of these. And then there are perfect sequences in film like the opening credits of “To Kill A Mockingbird.”

I’m grateful to be given these moments, and I’m willing to be a fan of most anyone who’s gone to the trouble of honing their art with such care and attention as to cross the bounds of ordinary experience. I have no illusions that it’s ever easy, though the more artful it is, the easier it appears.

In his book “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell estimates that about 10,000 hours are required to reach true proficiency in most endeavors. But that’s just to get your ticket punched. Artistry is something else again, and when everyone has the ability to divert our attention for their 15 minutes, I want to hold out for more. I want to toss roses at the feet of those who’ve taken their craft to another level.

Something in us needs to be thrilled. We long to experience awe. To be a “bride married to amazement,” as poet Mary Oliver says. I believe it’s a true human requirement, and cheap thrills just won’t do. The soul knows when it’s being shortchanged. What truly moves us is never the product of smoke and mirrors. It’s the result of caring and time.

Maybe I’m suffering from titillation fatigue. Too many episodes of “CSI.” But the older I get, the more I want to turn my attention where it’s well deserved. And I want you to hold out with me.

Filed under: This and That

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