Old Acquaintances

After deciding to take the summer semester off from school, I set a few small goals to fill my newly acquired "free time". One of these goals was to renew a relationship with an old friend I'd been neglecting; my piano. It was quite disturbing for me to realize that I could barely stumble through the same songs I had played with ease when I was barely a teenager. One specific song that was the hardest blow to my ego was Rich Mullins: 78 Eatonwood Green (Liturgy, Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band/ personally my fav album of his). There I was clumsily falling over the keys, unable to control my fingers or produce anything near the stamina I used to exert, and finally gave up almost in tears. Could it be that I had perhaps lost what God-given talent I'd had as a child? I remember playing songs over and over until I finally felt that I had mastered them; it truly was one of my favorite pastimes growing up. Upon hearing my struggles through my favorite Rich song, even mom had to admit that I wasn't quite up to par, I'd become lazy and my hands just weren't as strong as they used to be. I guess I just hadn't noticed because I've played off and on over the past 5 years, but nothing challenging. Just Disney songs with Linds, or some J. Knapp from time to time. And it not only bothered me that I had let "real life" occupy so much of my time that I forgot about the things that used to be sooo important to me, but it made me wonder what other simple pleasures I had forgotten. As they say (even though I'm still not sure who "they" are) 'you have to start somewhere'. So I've been working at it, although I must be getting old because my back starts to hurt after a couple of hours. But I think I've come a long way over the summer. I can honestly and humbly say that even though I'm still not quite as fast and acccurate as I used to be, it is a work in progress.