Out of Tune

Does anyone know what this is? Me neither. No wait, actually I do. It's a tuning peg on my guitar. My poor guitar that I don't play anymore. My guitar that needs new strings right now.

Is that an excuse for not playing? Sometimes. Music has been on my mind lately. Can you tell? Maybe it's just remnants from Hurricane Brown being in town. But I've been feeling like I want to start playing my guitar again. Isn't it pretty? It smells like a guitar too. Did you know that guitars smell?

I really like my guitar, I feel bad that I've been ignoring it for so long. I bought it on April 22, 1989...that was almost 20 years ago....ack......how could that be? After a few years of really enjoying listening to acoustic guitar music, I decided that it would be fun to learn how to play. I sort of forgot that I'm not very musical. I did take piano lessons when I was a kid...and wish that I had stuck with that....but that sort of slid by the wayside too.

Anyway, I started out with renting a guitar and taking lessons through a community program. Then I bought my guitar and continued with the community ed group lessons. When I reached the end of that program I took private lessons. I loved it, but felt like it was sort of a waste since I was so uncomfortable singing. Then I got pregnant and the lessons stopped. Then whenever I would take the guitar out after that, the boys would want to strum it with sticky fingers...ack! So it's been put away. But maybe now is a good time to pull it out again. Even the back of it is pretty. :-) Someone told me that it is rosewood...but I don't know nuthin' about that so I can't say for sure.

I think I remember about 3 chords....but that would be a start...maybe. The trouble is I don't have the talent to ever be really good at playing, and I don't have the passion to practice enough to make up for my lack of talent. So is it worth it to try? Hmm...it's like so many things that I try....I can sort of do this, sort of do that....but there isn't really anything that I'm great at. Jill of all trades but master of none as they say. I'm never sure if it's because I'm sort of well rounded and like trying a lot of things, or if I just lack the drive to really pursue something to the fullest. I'd have to put too much thought into that to figure it out. I think I'll just go and get some new strings for my guitar to remove one of my excuses. And play again just for fun. Stay tuned to see if I really do. Get it? Hah.

Before I go I have one more picture to share. This is my uncle Jim playing the guitar. I loved to listen to him when I was a kid. This was the early 60's...I remember him playing a lot of Peter, Paul and Mary songs. My favorite was Puff the Magic Dragon.

But the thing that makes me laugh about this picture is in the background. Someone must have been clearing out the barn, because there are saddles scattered about on the grass. Do you see the 2 1/2 year old girl riding that imaginary horse? Guess who. Some dreams start at a very young age. Encourage them.