Sadness is a
very powerful emotion. It’s not very often that I feel sad,
especially when I should, as has been the case in some situations.
My grandmother died of Alzheimer’s three years ago. I didn’t feel sad then, and I still don’t looking back at it. I didn’t feel sad when three of my other relatives died. Indeed, you could say I don’t feel sad when I should.
When do I feel sad then? To say I feel sad when I shouldn’t would probably be an overstatement. I felt sad when a pet of ours died. I’ve seen movies that made me sad. I’ve listened to music that made me sad. I’ve played video games that made me sad.
Even in those cases, though, only rarely has the emotion of sadness been evoked. I can only recall one video game that made me feel very sad - but it did it twice. As far as movies are concerned, not many movies have evoked any sadness in me, but the ones that did have definitely left their mark.
Now music, then, is another matter, since it has its own appearances in movies and video games as well. It often works with the visual image rather than behind it. Interestingly enough, I don’t necessarily feel the same emotion - sadness in this case - listening to a piece of soundtrack separately from the visual image as I do listening to it in context with the image.
But as far as music goes, there’s one genre of it that manages to make me sad on a regular basis: classical music. There’s nothing more beautiful than pure emotion turned into a magnificent orchestral piece. Of course, by “magnificent”, I mean “mellow”. Classical pieces that have a lot going on don’t have the same emotional effect on me as slow ones.
In any case, even if I don’t feel sad when I should, I’m glad I have other opportunities.