Wookie Flute Playin'

From the time I was a youngster, people told me that I had "piano fingers" -- apparently, that's when you are long and lanky and your fingers look that same way. I am guilty of saying that to untold children in my lifetime too. I have a couple of grandchildren that have twiggy appendages, and I'm hoping for plucky songs in the future. 

My own musical history has been fraught with distraction and missed opportunities. My parents ponied up for piano lessons when I was in sixth grade, no small sacrifice. The (wonderful) teacher lived around the corner. The bus let me off on Thursday afternoons for my lessons and then I walked home afterwards. Miss Elsie loved Mozart, Bach and expressive playing. Even though I was lax in my practice, I was not lax in my love for her and for the music she introduced me to. When she played, it opened a sea of enchantment for me. It was a foray into worlds unknown, a crack in the current universe with a peek into what heaven must sound like. I still feel that way about music...whether it's classical, modern, jazz (well, some of it) or bluegrass. Throw down a folk rhythm and my foot's a-jumpin'. I'm so happy God gave us music.  After a few years of piano lessons, I begged my folks for a flute. They rented me one for $5 a month from Ken Stanton Music, and bought a beginning band book. Since I knew how to read music already, I quickly picked up how to play. I was already in high school and had a full schedule of sports, studies and social life. I practiced, but with limits. 

Life moved on, but I never stopped playing it. Church, weddings, jam sessions...the piano went to the side but the flute kept making its appearance. For years, when we were home-schooling our kids, I would use their nap time to teach beginners how to start out on the flute. It gave us money for my own kids' lessons and sports, in their own arenas. None of them really took up an instrument, but they were beasts out on the court and field, and loved music anyway. Now I play with the Carroll Community Wind Ensemble and at church, practicing more than I ever have and finally running up against the truth: that I need to learn how to play this thing. I'm performing next fall with a wonderful, young harpist in a contest in Atlanta, so I decided to take some lessons myself, since I could use some help. Yesterday was our first Zoom session, the dinosaur with some sweet young gal who could almost be my grandchild. In five minutes she was gracing me with great information. This morning, I was thinking about these kinds of blessings and also about the first grave sin: pride. Pride keeps us out of heaven, destroys our neighbor and puts a wall up in our brains that keeps us from learning and growing. I'm gonna lay down my pride and soak up everything I can from this young gal. I'll be her Padawan learner. Hurrah for new bends in the road.