The Hermit Takes a Harp

The hermit Catholic nothing takes a harp. Hi ho the derry-o, the hermit takes a harp!

A childhood desire is to be realized, God willing and body able. At age two or three, a cherished Christmas tree ornament caught the fancy of a pre-school Protestant. It was a bas relief-style plastic angel, blond hair and blue tunic, carrying a harp in its arms. The harp had gold glitter on it, of course. Yellowish-pink plastic of the 1950's, it was, and unique in that glass remained the bulk of ornament-making of that period.

When it came time for band in 5th grade, the nothing was offered a chance to play. The father and mother were open to the child nothing's desires, and instruments such as saxophone, flute, trombone and clarinet were suggested. Since the eldest sister had played clarinet, the father suggested that instrument was available, in the house, as she had left band after freshman year.

So, the nothing felt that would be the thing to do, in compliance and practical frugality. In retrospect, had an insistence to play the harp come forth, the mother would have done all to make it a possibility into reality. But there were no other youngsters in town who played the harp then, although an elderly woman did who had a most unusual name for a Protestant: Magdalena.

For eight years the child nothing played the clarinet, and after the first year wanted to improve, and the middle sister said, "Well, then, practice more!" So the child nothing began to practice an hour a day, and before long and continuing through high school, became a clarinetist first chair in the band. A beautiful wood clarinet replaced the plastic one, purchased with 400 hours of earned babysitting money. Such lovely tone--no comparison to the black plastic! The nothing named things then, too, and this was named after the band director, Delmer. It was thus Delmer the Selmer.

People thought perhaps the nothing would major in music in college, to become a concert clarinetist. The nothing did not, and discontinued playing, which was not a good idea for the clarinet had become a healthy outlet of emotion and pensive passions. These took other routes, not so positive but with their good lessons and consequences.

Now, years later, the nothing Catholic hermit, on the eve of its mother's would-be 90th birthday, and after some bit of research and much encouragement from a harpist and distributor in a western state, ordered a lovely lap harp. It is light weight enough to be played with the nothing not having to sit in a straight chair, or could be set on a stool for standing to play. The nothing splurged on having a detailed filigree cross painted on the soundboard of the harp, with a blood-red rosette featured in the mid-point heart of the cross. Then, there will be overlaid wood leaves, seven in all, on the harp's bridge.

The spiritual da thought this harp playing endeavor to be quite a good idea. At first he smiled and laughed, but he has learned to expect the unexpected from the nothing--just as the nothing has come to expect the unexpected. One never knows what notion will come forth, and this one has brought a peace, joy and anticipated eagerness of the unknown. It will take at least two months for the harp to be built and to be delivered. In the meantime, the garden beckons.

The harp is called Morgan, and this by the luthier who builds it. And the name "Morgan" suits well, for the basis for this Irish name is actually "Mary." It is mid-month May, and this is Mary's month, and the nothing's mother's earthly birthday. And it is the parents who are purchasing this harp, this lark of a hope that the nothing can, indeed, learn to play and play well. An hour a day minimum is going to be devoted to wordless hymns of praise in stringed melody (or just stringed sound!), to just adore Him.

The da commented that he thinks of some old Irish man who played the harp and was blind. Yes, a blind harpist, and perhaps a hermit he was.

So when the nothing mentioned to the confessor this morning that it was taking up the harp, there was no mention of the added impetus due to the deeper acceptance of the nothing's soul's inner call to hermit life, and that also of recognition that the harp will keep, as the financial advisor hoped, the nothing off the streets more and in the house! For the nothing has spent much money for landscaping and unusual flora in a most intriguing nursery found sort of out in the middle of nowhere--a kind of fairyland nursery.

To play liturgical music is a hope, and to play for God alone here at Agnus Dei, and for the parents and others who share this space in their no need of space forever more. In eight years' time on earth, with practice, perhaps the nothing will be proficient to play "I Sing a Maid" and "Panis Angelicus" and "Jesus, Joy of Man's Desiring"....