I listen to a lot less classical music today than I used to,

I'm not a genius or anything close to it,

Exactly this. Maybe in an assistant chair position. I hope I never take this for granted.

It seems like that's all I ever did,

At first it was odd. I was used to learning from him, and then one day, I'm his colleague, ... Maybe it was that I felt inferior at first, like I didn't belong.

I think I'd like to run a marathon someday,