People at Work #1

Inspired by Caleb Ferguson's photo essay, Americans at Work, I started my own series of People at Work today. This is Jim, who works for the City of Portland as a tree trimmer and parks employee. He told me he's been trimming trees for thirty-five years, working for the city for the last twenty-three. He loves his work, wouldn't want to do anything else. "What could be better than taking care of our trees?" he asks. I met him as I was walking home from Tai Chi class, and I thought the day couldn't get much better, but it did.

After lunch I met Laurie at the Chinese Garden, where we had tea and good talk; and then--drumroll--I got another $5 ticket to the Symphony, and this time I got to sit on the second row!

Remember this name: Aziz Shokhakimov. It's not a name that rolls right off the tongue unless you're from Uzbekistan, as he is. But I predict you're going to hear more from him. He's 25, and tonight he conducted the Oregon Symphony as if every single note were the most important note ever written and as if this would be his only chance to conduct. He danced the whole concert. He cried. He laughed. He stomped his feet. He cajoled and seduced and whispered to the orchestra, and sitting right on the second row, I got to watch it all as if I were one of the musicians myself. He uses his shoulders to gesture, like a great actor. He sweats from the intensity. I LOVE this young man. I love his conviction, his passion, his total absorption in what he does. I love his bravery in showing so much emotion; he doesn't have to be "cool" or superior to what he's doing. He's entirely IN what he's doing.

I came home and looked him up, and there isn't a video available that shows the full range and beauty of what he does, but if you're interested in this kind of thing, there's an eight-minute Youtube made a couple of years ago when he was only 21, that gives you an idea of the way he works. But you'll have to see him for yourself, because now he's WAY more animated and expressive than he was back then.

I would have loved the opportunity to take pictures of Shokhakimov conducting, but cameras aren't allowed during concerts, so I leave you with Jim. What they have in common is loving what they do. This makes the world sing.