Life in a Violin Case
The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, although sharing my love of music, disapproved of it as a profession. This was understandable because of the family background. My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years at Springhill College and, though much beloved and respected in the community, earned barely enough to provide for his large family. As a result of this example in the family, my parents insisted upon college instead of a conservatory (音乐学校) of music to learn violin, and to college I went.
Before my graduation from Columbia, the family met with severe financial problems and I felt it my duty to leave college and take a job. Thus I took up a business career—which I always think of as the wasted years.
Now I do not mean to disparage (贬低) business. My whole point is that it was not for me. I went into it for money, and besides the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it. It was not enough. I felt that life was passing me by. From being unsatisfied, I became miserable. My one ambition was to save enough to quit and go to Europe to study music. I used to get up at dawn to practice before I left for “downtown”. I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, accumulated enough to enable me to go abroad. The family being once more solvent (有偿付能力的), and my help no longer necessary, I resigned from my position and, feeling like a man released from jail, sailed for Europe.
I stayed in Europe four years, worked harder than I had ever dreamed of working before and enjoyed every minute of it.
When I broke away from business it was against the advice of practically all my friends and family. Most of us hold the view that happiness is closely related to money and therefore giving up a good salary for an idea seemed little crazy. If so, all I can say is “Gee, it's great to be crazy.”
Money is a wonderful thing, but it is possible to pay too high a price for it.