A classic is defined as, “Judged over a period of time to be of the highest quality and outstanding of its kind.” I’ve read several classic novels, watched numerous classic movies, classic music from the thirties to the eighties is on my playlist, and many of my cars over the years have been close to classics.

The Ford Edsel is considered a classic. It may have been high quality when it first came out. It was not well accepted at that time. The thing that makes vehicles classic is not always the quality. It is usually the age.

Many classic books also were not accepted when first published. Some were ahead of their time. Others were thought to be classic material but have not survived the years. Of all the stories I have read some I consider good and others bad. When I read a classic, I may decide before finishing it that I do not care for the way the story is being told. At times this is because of what was considered proper techniques during that period.

Most novels I read line up on my scale from good to bad. Most are three to four on a one to five scales. Some I read are not worth rating at all in my opinion. Not all of these are considered classics. From junior high school through college, I disagreed with the ratings of the literary experts. Many of these stories were in textbooks.

A few authors that are considered classics are not my favorites. I may enjoy a story or two by Hemingway or others. As I read more of their work, I conclude that while they did well on some tales, the majority of what I have read is not what I consider quality.

This also goes for classic music. Classic in this genre is often what is called “long-haired” music. That is not what I am talking about. I think of every type of music from different eras as a classic due to their age. Some old music does not fall into the classic category for me.

Artists may be thought of as excellent by you and I do not enjoy any or all of what they have recorded. Two people that are examples of this are Willy Nelson and Janis Joplin. I realize that the first is country and the second is thought of as a rock singer. The type of music is not where I decide if I like it or not. I listen to almost every kind of music. My one exception is opera. I can think of no selection in this group that I enjoy.

 I may have mentioned some of your favorites as not being ones that I like. Don’t worry about this. Many people disagree with me. I learned many years ago that if you do not have the same opinion as I, you are not necessarily wrong. Remember that holds true for all of us. Do not argue with others. You may both be correct.

©Copyright 2022 by Charles Kensinger