Old Skills and New

What skill would you like to learn?

Don’t you love it when someone says, “Wow! You’ve got skills!”?

Yeah, me too. But you know what happens when you neglect those skills? – Or you are unable, for a time, to practice those skills? You notice in a few days and it doesn’t take long at all for your audience to notice.

Guitar: My brother, Randy, taught me how to play the guitar when I was 13. He had skills! Can’t say that I did, but I could play along or write my own music and accompany myself. But I injured my shoulder 20 years later. Since then, I have played little. I’m 60 now. No time like the present, bad shoulder or not. In fact, it would be a good memorial to Randy to start playing again. Gonna do it!

The fact is I play several instruments besides guitar- small percussion, soprano and alto recorders, Native American Flute, piano. Not particularly skilled at them, but with practice…I could hone my skills. I do sing and play piano once a month for church. Gotta keep that up.

Speaking of singing. I was a professional singer and voice coach for years. Warming up my voice daily was the norm. I lost the use of my voice at the beginning of the pandemic. Except for the occasional breakthrough, I didn’t sing for two years. Oh, the fear and anguish that gripped me. I stopped playing piano because it grieved me so, not to be able to sing along. When I got my voice back, I started playing again. Neither instrument behaves as they should, but after neglect, what can I expect?

Bringing back skills. How? Put your hours in! I’m preaching to the choir, I know. Really, I’m preaching to myself.

Now to the new skill to add to the old. Robert, one of my cousins, gave me a violin. Oh, how I would love to learn to that skill! I got it out just a couple days ago. Squeak squeakity squeakers! Can my husband’s ears take it? Can mine? We shall see. We shall see.

What about you? What skill would you like to learn? Or what skill would you like to hone? Inquiring minds want to know.