My piano arrived at the Holiday House this week and the first song that came to mind was Billy Joel’s Vienna. Sitting in a camping chair, the rest of my furniture hasn’t arrived yet, I was staring at my piano thinking … I now have everything I need. This may end up being the last home I ever own, I may grow old here, and I actually may be okay with that.
And you know that when the truth is told.
That you can get what you want or you can just get old
When I was in my twenties and thirties, I was in such a hurry. A hurry to “make it,” to get things right, to acquire all the things we dreamed of. My husband and I learned very early that we are not guaranteed a certain amount of time in this life and the goal shifted to make time matter. But even that was hard.
I tried to figure out exactly what it was that I wanted. I was told if I had a vision it would come true. If I could imagine it, it would manifest. But what was the vision Iwanted? It had to be the prefect vision. Soon I became afraid of choosing the wrong one.
Slow down, you crazy child
You’re so ambitious for a juvenile.
But then if you’re so smart, well, tell me
Why are you still so afraid?
I was right about one thing. Life is about the journey not the destination. You can’t get it right, you can’t ‘get there’ because life is fluid and always in a state of change.
If you like the steps you’re taking toward somewhere or something, then the wandering is worth it. Find the things you love and do them. Not that you’ll like everything, some hard things are necessary to get to the good things, but the goal is the doing, not the arriving.
Too bad, but it’s the life you lead
You’re so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you’re wrong
You know, you can’t always see when you’re right, you’re right
Billy Joel’s Vienna, is a place where he visited his estranged father, and found a city that symbolized a peaceful, patient approach to life. There he appreciated a culture that valued old age as a mature state of being. A place that welcomes you, is long-suffering, and isn’t a place to be feared. The song is about slowing down, being in the present, and enjoying the journey of life instead of rushing for success and missing it.
You’ve got your passion, you’ve got your pride
But don’t you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don’t imagine they’ll all come true, ooh
When will you realize Vienna waits for you?
Slow down, you crazy child
And take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile
It’s alright, you can afford to lose a day or two, ooh
When will you realize Vienna waits for you? — Billy Joel