NASA’s projected arrival of Asteroid 2018 VP1 on November 2, the eve of the Presidential Election, reminds me of Robert Schumann and Clara Wieck’s 1840 legal victory over her father. The two had initiated a long and acrimonious lawsuit against Friedrich Wieck, Schumann’s former teacher, in the hope of overriding his opposition to their marriage. By the time the court ruled in their favor, and they were allowed to tie the knot, it was the last day of Clara’s 20th year. One more day, and she would have attained majority status. At 21, as a matter of course, the decision to marry would have been legally hers.
Where was this asteroid in 2016, when we really needed it?*
Kaija Saariaho’s “Asteroid 4179 – Toutatis”
Schumann’s “Widmung” (“Dedication”), a gift to his new bride
*Not to worry, it’s only 6 to 12 feet wide and likely to burn up, mostly, or explode in the atmosphere.