Seeing the world through a window rather than through mirror

"I write and sing about whatever I am able to understand and feel. I feel that it is healthier to look out at the world through a window than through a mirror. Otherwise, all you see is yourself and whatever is behind you."

Bill Withers

Until 90 minutes ago I had no idea who Bill Withers was. Michael got a documentary about him called Still Bill from Netflix, and I found it an unexpected treat to get to know the man who wrote so many of the songs that served as the unconscious audio backdrop of my youth (I never knew who wrote them or who was singing because I never "watched" music on television). Withers, who is now in his 70s, demonstrates in the most beautiful way what it is to be friend, what it is to be a father, what it is to be a mentor, and what it means to connect with people person to person and not "personage" to personage. He also defines in practice what it means to have musical talent, and what it means to live through music (as shown through an awe-inspiring recording session he has with Raúl Midón). I supposed you could say that it isn't the "kind" of music I spend my life doing, but it is a "way" of music that I admire greatly.

I feel very fortunate to have had the chance, through this film, to spend bit of time with Bill Withers.