A Soul's Whimsy

 I am reading a lot of books where spirituality is portrayed as a series of levels that a person aspires to, based on a combination of practice, insight, right views and faith. I have to admit that, at times, that road can be daunting, and a person can lose their sense of direction in it, perhaps ironically. Spirit, in my opinion, needs to be infused with a sense of soul.
   I have recently been watching the news about Little Richard, the musician who died at age 87. Seeing the way he inducted Otis Redding into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame on Youtube, I feel inspired by him. He is hardly what you would call a "calm" person- in fact, he seems ridiculously all over the place at times, albeit in a delightful way. But there is this soulful passion in him, and an ability to cheer up everybody in the room. This is hardly what everyone nowadays might call a spiritual practice, but I do believe that the ability to rise to the occasion in an artful way is a form of spirit, in the purest sense of the word.
     What I most appreciate about his performance on that video was the verve and spontaneity of his performance. Like most people who give speeches in commemoration of others, Little Richard could just as well have read off pieces of paper or practiced a speech. However, it wouldn't have been the same as just saying it like it is in the heart and even risking being off the "speech end" and going a bit crazy. But this "craziness" too is something that is not acted out; it's a sincere outpouring of the heart that takes dedication and focus. Perhaps it comes from the craft of being a musician, but also it must come from the love of singing and voice.
   People these days need more craziness at times, and certainly more cheering up. I think that in spite of the need to progress and learn more (which all very serious business and undertakings), there is room in all of this for people to sometimes do whatever they feel, even if it's off a beaten path or just plain silly. Things do not always need to make sense, even when we need things to make sense. And sometimes just recording these ideas can be helpful at a later time.