Oh, my achin' fingers!

You might think that my fingers hurt because of all the typing, but you'd be wrong. For some reason, I got it in my head that I needed to get out my old guitar, today, and learn to play. I got the guitar for Christmas back when I was in college, and I never sat down and learned to play it. I know a few chords, and because of my cello experience I can pick out a few melodies here and there, but that's it.

I have always wanted to play the guitar. I've always wanted to be that person who is begged at every party to pull out her guitar and play a few songs. I have visions of myself sitting with a bunch of friends and loved ones around a bonfire on a beach, singing folk songs and bringing people joy through my music.

You really can't do that sort of thing with a cello. It's just not practical. You do not want sand in your F holes. (Yes, F holes, get your minds out of the gutter).

I also can't play the piano. I took lessons for eons. I still suck. I lack discipline. I get frustrated that I can't play as well as I want to right now, and so I quit.

This is honestly one of the things I like least about myself. I really lack follow through. I buy all of the equipment and gear for a project, and I'm all excited about it for about 11 minutes, and then I get bored and move on to something else. Consequently I have a whole lot of stuff (sewing machine, scrapbooking accouterments, musical instruments, gardening supplies - and those are just off the top of my head) lying around, and I still can't do anything useful with any of them (ugly totebags notwithstanding).

I love the idea of sitting down with my kids, after the fashion of Maria von Trapp, and belting out "Let's start at the very beginning..." as I teach them to love music by singing "Do Re Mi," so this time I'm going to try to stick with it. I got out the guitar, and the cheat deck for chords that I bought one year at Toys R' Us, on sale, and I got online to figure out how to tune it (hint: you don't want to tune it like a cello, for one thing, there's no B on a cello. For another, cellos only have 4 strings...), and to look up the tabs for some of my favorite songs.

I really need someone to show me how to hold my wrist, because I'm doing it wrong. Maybe I need a neck strap. Maybe when Claire gets up we'll go to the music store (is there one in town? I'll look online...) and buy one. I know I'm holding it wrong, though, because I have a lot of tension in my wrist. That's bad. I need picks, anyway, so we might as well grab a strap while we're there (where? I don't know yet, maybe that place over by Steak and Shake?).

I plan to spend 15 minutes a day until my fingers toughen up, then 30 minutes a day, until I have achieved some respectable level of prowess. Then I will be able to say, "Why yes, I will play a few songs!" at your next Christmas gathering, or at your bonfire, or on Mom's porch while drinking wine. I probably won't be any good by this Christmas, but I'll try. Hold me to this, internet. Don't let me slack!

But I'm done for today, because my fingers are killing me.