It is fairly common to see some advertisement like:
100 places you must visit in your life time
100 books you must read in your life
Top 100 most influential persons in history
or even something like:
100 places you can go without them.
Almost all of the above are subjective and can vary a lot among them. Instead of letting someone tell you what to do, it may be more interesting or meaningful to do something you like to do. This will tell what you really are as a person. It will show your interest, your thought, your hobby and the way you lead your life. Without burdening yourself too much, it is a good beginning to ask the question like:
Can you list three things (not persons) which you will miss a lot if you lead your life without them?
Life is life, there is nothing really indispensable or a must in your life. All we can say is that we may miss a lot if life goes without them. If you can't think of at least three things to fill in the blank, you may already miss a lot in your life. The answer to this question is subjective of course as everyone is raised and educated differently and so the answer will show what you are and not just who you are. If you can list more than three things, it is even better as you run your life in more directions and tend to lead a more colorful and fulfilled life.
Here I will give my list and explain why I will miss a lot if I haven't encountered or experienced these three things.
Beethoven's Symphony
Beethoven composed nine symphonies. Each one is unique in its own way. The music is emotional, lofty, inspirational and powerful. His symphonies cover pretty much every facet of human existence in one way or another. It (especially the fifth) gives me strength when I am low in my life. It (especially the ninth) gives me love and comfort when I am sad and melancholy. It gives me inspiration (especially the third) when I encounter difficulties. Music is a sequence of note run along time with melody, rhythm and volume of sound. It can be very abstract, vague and can be interpreted in different way at different time. The sixth is the Pastoral Symphony. It is a tone poem which combines music, painting and hilarious human emotion in mother nature. Even in his less popular symphonies like #1, #2, #4 and #8 are packed with energy, emotion and pure beauty of melody. His #7 is similar to #5 with different construct. Carl Sagan used it in his Cosmos to convey his cosmic message. The music is played in the background which puts science, history and human being in a perfect setting. It is so powerful that moves us to tears. There are a lot of symphonies, many good one. However, Beethoven's nine symphonies contain the most powerful, intellectual and artistic quality with immense energy in it. I store Beethoven's nine symphonies in my iPhone, so I can listen to them whenever and wherever I go.
Carl Sagan's Cosmos
Where did I come from? What is my position in the universe? We learned a lot in the school in many disciplines of knowledge. There are a lot of programs discussing the Cosmos, but none of them matches the intensity and broadness of Carl Sagan's monumental work: Cosmos. It is a series of thirteen episodes delving into the nature and intricacy of the cosmos and human being. The exploration of the universe gives me the meaning and the significance of mankind in the Cosmos. The series contains 13 episodes with topic ranging from the shores of the cosmic ocean to who speaks for earth. It delves into the harmony of the worlds, the heaven and Hell, blue and red planet, travels in space and time. The scope of the exploration is immense and it zeroes in the position of mankind in the universe and the responsibility of our human being. As Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself. The journey for each of us begins here, the brain. Perfect as a dandelion seed. It will carry us to world of dreams and worlds of facts".
Poems from Tang Dynasty
This is literature in the form of poem. It is artistic, scenic, emotional, rhythmic, musical and historical all in one place. I learn to appreciate the beauty of language, nature, human emotion and the intricate relation among them from these poems, truly gems of literature that human can ever create. I understand this is language dependent. You can't really appreciate the beauty after it is translated into other language. Nonetheless, if you master the Mandarin and be able to absorb and imbibe in the Tang Poems, you know you have something so precious that nobody can take it from you. What is so precious? It is the capacity of human being to appreciate the beauty of nature, language and the emotion.
The above three things stick to me since very early stage of my life. They continue to influence me, shape my personality and enhance some of my character, interest and past time. I never get tired of them, they become part of my life. They consist of the category of human endeavors such as music, science and literature. This is the reason I say I will miss a lot if I lead a life without them. I think I may lead a normal life without them. However, I am very certain I will miss a lot if my life goes without them.
