Today’s Daily Stoic writing prompt: Am I flexible enough to change my mind and accept feedback?

“Flexibility is its own kind of strength. In fact, this flexibility combined with strength is what will make us resilient and unstoppable.”

This, in two sentences, is something I believe with all my heart. Being flexible and willing to pivot has saved my bacon in so many ways so many times that I’ve lost count. Flexibility is a mantra for me. And that includes being willing to learn, being willing to admit I was wrong about something, and to be humble enough to know that even in the areas where I feel I have some extensive level of knowledge, there is always more I don’t know.

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Today: The final of the three Coffee Concerts, featuring a Mendelssohn quartet, accompanied in its final movement by cannon and angry blue jay. Apparently there was something going on at nearby Ft. George, hence the booms. Also, as the quartet took its final bowstroke, the first violinist was seen trying to flick away a yellow jacket.

Before the concert, we checked out a memorial to Polish soldiers who were staying in Canada and died of the Spanish flu.

After that, a lunch of fish and chips in an Irish pub, some apple fritters to take home, and a little bit of shopping–some jewellery at the Scottish Loft, and a gorgeous new midnight blue Aran sweater at the Irish shop (making up for my lack of shopping in Montreal this time). Then it was off to Niagara Falls for concert no. 2.

This one was held in a really lovely outdoor amphitheater behind a Serbian church. On the same grounds were some lovely woods and a Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired building that looked like it was in the final stages of construction. I’m assuming it’s some sort of community hall. Whatever it is, it looked really neat.

The music was amazing. Mendelssohn’s Hebrides overture, which I’d never heard before and really, really liked (I really need to hear more Mendelssohn!); Mozart’s Symphony no. 35 (Haffner), just about my favourite Mozart symphony; and what usually does come out on top as my favourite Beethoven symphony, no. 7. The Niagara Symphony was in fine form, and I was left thinking to myself how amazing a venue that would be for a summer music festival (definite vibes of Chautauqua.). Apparently the orchestra was also suitably impressed, and plans to return for more concerts. The fact that this concert was completely free? That just blew me away, and I made sure to buy some cookies at the concession to help support the orchestra.

Home again, and straight into my Pathfinder game. We managed to complete the heist quest in our current adventure, resulting in levelling up.

All told, a very busy weekend, but a ton of time with friends. And thus concludes the busiest eight-day period I’ve had in a very long time.

Tomorrow: gearing up for running the first session of Speechcraft for Toastmasters. And election day. We’ve voted already, of course. I suspect we will be getting another minority government, which suits me just fine (although I am definitely more in favour of one party forming government than another.)