Where would we be without beat keepers?
Where would we be without beat keepers? In an orchestra, you have the percussion section keeping the steady beat, and he or she takes direction from the conductor, who makes sure he or she stays on beat as well. There is a whole system to keep things on track.
As music students learn a new instrument, they are instructed to use a metronome to make sure their play is steady. When I started playing piano as a child, I had a love/hate relationship with mine, to be sure! But it certainly kept me playing consistently and in rhythm.
If you are listening to the radio, you most likely keep the beat by tapping your fingers or your toes, probably completely unaware you are doing it. Though no one is relying on your steady beat to play the song, it is enjoyable, and you likely keep in time to the music, in your own way.
There is a system, an order to music that is indisputable. Otherwise, you have a cacophony. And no one likes that!
Rhythm. It’s an important thing. There is a cadence to the orderly world. This is also the case with the human body. The heart is the beat keeper for us all. But what happens when that beat maker gets confused or tired or just plain worn out?
Recently this situation struck close to home in my world. My husband, who had a defibrillator implanted 18 years ago, found himself in this unfortunate situation and in need of further assistance. In his case, a new defibrillator, an additional wire and one night in the hospital, and his beat was indeed restored.
I have learned a lot about this subject and am amazed and grateful at the progress in the field of cardiology. It is incredible to me how the heart finds a way in these situations. When one area is damaged, others kick in and help out when possible. It is quite an interesting phenomenon.
Eventually, when more damage occurs, external forces have to be employed to help regulate that beat. I am in complete awe and overwhelmed with gratitude for the resilience of the human heart and for the knowledge of the medical community. All these factors come together so you can once again keep that beat going strong.
It’s funny, there are a few things we never question — there will be air when I take my next breath, the sun will most definitely rise tomorrow, and the heart will regulate its beats as needed to maintain good health. But when the heart goes a bit haywire, it is very interesting how this is handled by modern medicine, and it is reassuring to know that there is a master conductor out there, ready to help get the orchestra of your body back into cadence. Never underestimate the importance of keeping the beat!
Beat keepers also keep the pace of your life.
There is an interesting saying, “He marches to the beat of a different drummer.”
This describes a person who is different from most, who does things differently or has a unique way of looking at things. Obviously, we don’t all think exactly alike or have the same philosophies. If we did, it certainly would be a boring world!
But rather, our personalities, the drummers inside of us, drive the tempo of the beat of our lives. While we cannot control our internal drum (aka our heart), we definitely can control the pace at which we live.
So why not slow down, and enjoy the music of your life?