Sometimes It Can Still Sound Sweet

Today, I was at a BBQ at a friend's house where I met some new people from church. One of them shook my hand and said:

New Guy: You look familiar.
Me: [already nervous.] I do?
New Guy: Oh yes. You play the keyboard church. You're the piano player!
Me: [blushing.] Yes. You could say that I am.

It has taken me seven years to get back to playing piano, and I must confess its been somewhat frustrating that I can no longer play the way I used to. I don't want to sound prideful, but I used to play the piano really well. I was proud of the talent God gave me. It was like breathing for me--nothing came so natural as playing piano.

I suppose it is apropos that today, a high school choir performed for us at chapel. Because I was in a nostalgic mood, I reminisced about being in my high school choir. I had a lot of great memories of being in choir, even during my senior year when I ended up playing piano more than singing. My choir director, Mr. Giles, encouraged me to keep playing piano, having believed that I was a musical prodigy just itching to get out. However, much to his (and many others') detriment, I quit after I graduated high school.

Knowing what I know now, I would never have stopped. I would have heeded my grandfather's warning not to stop playing so that I would not "lose" it. I would have taken Mr. Giles's advice and continued playing during college. I would not have given into my fear of being inadequate and just played for me. And maybe the pinniacle of my musical career wouldn't be stuck somewhere in the middle of my senior year of high school.

It's getting back to where it was before, but its a slow process. But when I was watching that choir today, I remembered when music was fun; when music was my life. Its no longer that way now, and I'm sure that Mr. Giles would reprimand me again for throwing away my musical talent (that's another story), but I hope that any music I make now would still sound as sweet.