Day 9,438: Hostage to Intractable Burping
I started a new tradition for myself on my 40th birthday. I decided that each year I would buy myself a substantial birthday gift that I had wanted for a while.
My first SelfGift was my first Miata. Some of you may remember that it ended badly.
My second SelfGift was my second Miata. (Yeah, my mother always said I was stubborn.)
My third SelfGift is a beautiful, mysterious clarinet. I've had it for a few weeks now. Not long enough to gain TOO many bad habits, but long enough to figure out what my initial group of "I'm too stupid to figure this out on my own" questions would be.
I will digress here and tell you that my first musical memories were burnt onto the hard drive I call my brain in the French Quarter. I remember as a very small child walking down Dauphine Street and being amazed at the music coming from the narrow open doorways that my father would never take me through. I remember old, skinny black men on St. Ann blowing saxaphones and clarinets and I remember crying as I was pulled away from them. I wanted to just sit at their feet and soak up their souls through my ears.
While in school I took up the saxaphone. I gave it up after a few months because:
1. It was too geeky. The cool kids played guitar. Cool girls played flute. (Puke.)
2. It was too heavy to lug around all day along with all my books. Yeah I had a locker but I couldn't ever get it open. Some people just were not born with the gene that allows them to operate a combination lock.
3. It took too much air. It was give up the sax or give up pot. Easy choice.
So now I'm officially old and I don't care so much about the geeky part. (Look who I married!). I still don't want something so heavy and the air part? Ehhh. No comment. Other than to say that the clarinet is cool, lightweight and doesn't need so much air.
Tonight I had my first clarinet lesson. What a nice man! He was patient, brilliantly talented, and his ears didn't bleed when he listened to me play.
I encourage you to go get that thing or do that thing that you've always wanted. My driver's license is proof that we're not getting any younger.Labels: miata, personal urban drama |
how fun! never stop learning, and the clarinet is a versatile instrument, from jazz to marching. let me know when you need a drummer.