I Miss My Piano!

This may sound pitiful for many of you, but for several years I would play the piano for sometimes more than 5 hours a day. (Yes, you read that right!) There were some days when I would even play for up to 7 hours... Not because I was under strict training or anything or because I had to, but because I loved to play more than anything in the universe. I would get out my favorite music... Classical music by great composers like Beethoven, Bach, Rachmaninoff (my favorite!), Mozart, etc.. I would also play all manner of other types of music such as love songs, church songs, modern compositions, Broadway theater music, Elton John, Billy Joel, etc... You name it, I played it.

I can remember it being beautiful outside and my brother and sister would be out and about playing, but I would find comfort and refuge behind my faithful piano. Nothing really enticed me enough to pull me away from playing my heart out. It was a great way for me to release so many different emotions... If I was sad, I played very slowly and softly, and if I was happy I would play loud and fast. My mom always said that she knew when I was mad because I would play "angrily!" I usually dragged out a good Rachmaninoff prelude for such occasions as that!

My freshman year of high school I got really involved in my school's drama and choir program, which pulled me away from the piano a lot, but I would still manage to play for maybe 5 hours a week or so (many times more). When I was a sophomore I got my job at Red Lobster, where I ended up being a host manager and trainer, so I was VERY busy with that. That left very little time for the piano which was the big downside to be successful at my job. When I was a senior I started dating John, who obviously captivated the majority of my free time. The busier life got, the less time I had to enjoy the piano. Before I knew it, I rarely got to play for pleasure.

When John and I moved into our first house we took my childhood piano with us. It was never quite the same though because the piano was so old that the move did not do it well. It never felt like my same old piano every again. When Brooke came along we got rid of the piano altogether because our house was so small. Now, however, we have all of this room with nothing to fill it with and I want a piano SO badly!! I can envision my nights filled with music and relaxation behind the piano. Nothing sounds more relaxing to me than that! I've decided though, that I would really prefer to have a weighted keyboard (like I use at church) because I can control the volume, which would mean that I could play it however late I want to without waking up Brookie. The other advantage to an electric keyboard is that they require no tuning. I'm all for that! The prospect of me getting this beloved keyboard is not good though because it's like $600 for a cheaper one and I can think of many other things that I can spend that much money on other than something for ME.

I have been my church's pianist since I was 11, so at least I still get to play on Sundays. I play (and sing too) in the worship team and then I play a solo piece for the offertory each week. I enjoy that time so much because I rarely get to sit behind the piano and play anymore. I get so many compliments on my music while I'm at church and it really embarrasses me because it's GOD's talent and not my own. I literally pick up a piece of music two minutes before the offertory and play it without practicing it. That's not something that I am capable of... It's totally God working through me.

So yeah, if you're Bill Gates (or someone with his amount of money), feel free to ship me a nice Yamaha weighted keyboard. You wouldn't be giving me just a piano, you would be giving me countless hours filled with joy and relaxation. :-)