Today, due to a cerebral infarction at the age of 72, Alexander Gradsky, People’s Artist of Russia, singer and composer, died. A man of the era, he was the founder of one of the first Soviet rock bands, the author of many hits and a mentor in the Voice project. Let us recall the words of Gradsky about freedom, protest and changing priorities in adulthood.
“This phrase caught my eye in my distant youth: “If they give you lined paper, write across it.” At that time there were very clear rules: what you can do and what you should not. There was too much of everything «lined».
I saw in this phrase not a protest, but a completely meaningful opposition to the prohibitions that were waiting for us at every corner. And here is the phrase that became the key for the second part of my life: «Sit quietly on the river bank, and the corpse of your enemy will float by» **.
The transition from one way of thinking to another took me about 25 years. The assessment of the world and oneself has changed. At first I wanted to remake the world, and now, closer to old age, I began to understand that I need to take care of myself and not pay attention to external ups and downs, which, in fact, are not the main ones.
These two phrases frame my earthly existence, although you never know what will come to your mind next!
* Juan Ramon Jiménez (1881–1958), Spanish poet, Nobel Prize in Literature A phrase from his book Spaniards of the Three Worlds (Ivan Limbach Publishing House, 2008).
** Sun Tzu, Chinese thinker (2011th century BC), author of the treatise The Art of War (Eksmo, XNUMX). This phrase is also attributed to the ancient Chinese thinker Confucius (XNUMXth century BC).