Our Earliest Passions Shape Our Future

For me, my Earliest Passion was unquestionably Music. From the moment I was given an old trumpet in the fourth grade at Francis Parker #23 School in Rochester, New York, I sensed a change in my young life. A freedom to explore, if you will. A natural ability took over my every thought and dream. That earliest passion flourished throughout my high school years, introducing me to musical experiences I could never have imagined as an eight-year old. 

In the many years since, music has taken me in different directions, all of them positive. About a year ago, I embarked on a new musical journey, rooted in events that transpired some 40 years ago. It was certainly an ambitious undertaking, requiring new skills and new ways of thinking. Suddenly, I had an epiphany! Surely there must be people around the world encountering similar thoughts as they search for their own answers to new projects in their own lives. I realized that my project could well be a learning tool for others, younger or older, to benefit from my experiences, as well as the experiences of others. 

As different as our life experiences may be, we are constantly reminded that our earliest passions captured us in youth, then changed over time as life had its way with us, and eventually returned us to where we began. May you enjoy these stories from musicians, artists, storytellers, teachers, students, entrepreneurs, entertainers, and activists of different ages and career paths, from different countries and cultures. Some comedic, at first glance. Others, not so much. But all reflect heartfelt gestures to share their talents, skills, and lifetime experiences with you in the unselfish hope that you will gain valuable insight about what it all means in the ‘Circle of Life.’