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The violin prodigy: an inspiring story about passion

By Lani Rosales

Posted on October 5, 2009

I’m a writer, I’m writing, I write!*

This anecdote from Lawrence Block’s guide for fiction writing is an amazing inspiration to me and I wanted to share it with you. Many people are struggling right now and are being told to jump ship, but I hope this story tells you whatever it is that you need to hear if you hare having a tough time (as most people I know right now are).

There have been many things in my life I was discouraged to do, namely writing. I was first published at age 10, wrote competitively through high school and began writing digitally in college where I graduated Sigma Tau Delta with a B.A. in English Literature from UT (and now ignore all of the rules in order to blog with the overly enjoyable stream of consciousness method). Had I listened to those in my life that considered my writing a hobby, none of you guys would know me and I wouldn’t be lucky enough to know you and I would be a professional bowler or whatever.

The violin prodigy story

A young violin prodigy was walking down the street one day trying to decide whether or not to pursue a life in music when he came upon the most famous violin teacher in the world. Scarcely believing his luck, he stopped the great teacher and asked if he could play for him, thinking he would abandon his dream of a career in music if the great teacher told him he was wasting his time.

The greater teacher nodded silently for him to begin. So he played, beads of sweat soon appearing on his forehead, and when he finished, he was certain he’d given his finest performance. But the great maestro only shook his head sadly and said, “You lack the fire.”

The young musician was devastated. Nevertheless, he returned home and announced his intention to abandon the violin. Instead, he entered the world of business and turned out to have such a talent for it that in a few short years he found himself richer than he’d ever imagined possible.

Almost a decade later he found himself walking down another street in another city when he happened to spot the great teacher again. He rushed over to him. “I’m so sorry to bother you,” he said, “and I’m sure you don’t remember me, but I stopped you on the street years ago to play my violin for you, and I just want to thank you. Because of your advice, I abandoned my greatest love, the violin, painful as it was, and became a businessman and today enjoy great success, which I owe all to you. But one thing you must tell me: how did you know I didn’t have what it takes? How did you know all those years ago I lacked the fire?”

The great teacher shook his head sadly and said only, “You don’t understand. I tell everyone who plays for me they lack the fire. If you had the fire, you wouldn’t have listened.”