How lovely that must be for thee Lady Ondine. Do you love it as much as you hoped/thought you would? I took piano lessons from 8-12 and participated in performing in front of an audience...our relatives and friends. I only remember playing Feuer Elise at one of them. I was terrified. Later on as an adult I rented a piano and got some sheet music and would "play" when I'd get home from work. Nothing difficult. I remember I'd pour a glass of red wine and have it within reach as I played to unwind before I made my dinner. I remember it as being a very calming comforting thing to do. Very long ago and far away. Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday! :)
This post was edited by RosieG at January 25, 2020 8:09 AM MST
Yes, I still enjoy it! Like all things, there are days of stress, but I feel blessed to do what I do and to be able to make a decent living creating music and mentoring other musicians. Plus, my routine is never dull.
Happy Saturday. : )
This post was edited by Lady Ondine at January 25, 2020 10:25 AM MST
There is a line in the Craig Thomas techno-thriller novel (later turned into a mediocre movie starring Clint Eastwood) "Firefox" where a CIA agent asks the protagonist (Mitchell Gant, IIRC) if he's capable of flying a super-advanced Soviet fighter aircraft out of the country if the CIA puts him in a position to steal it.
He replies, "Yeah, I can fly it. I'm the best there is."
That's what I wanted to be when I was young: the best there is at...something. Alas, the fates did not see fit to grant me exceptional talent at ANYTHING (or, at least, nothing very useful). So I've had to settle for being pretty good at a lot of different things.
This post was edited by SaltyPebble at January 25, 2020 5:43 AM MST
I cannot ever remember wanting to "THE BEST" at anything SP. I skipped a few grades. Big deal. So what? But that made me a target for attention much of which wasn't kind. I never asked for it. I never wanted it. All I ever wanted to be when I was young and painfully shy was INVISIBLE. Not better than anyone at anything ever. I run away from competition. It brings out the worst in people. I have no interest in standing out from the crowd. Being known for anything. Not my cuppa tea. Not in front of the camera do I ever wish to be. Behind the scenes using a pseudonym where I can DIRECT and CONTROL? Mebbe. Otherwise elsewise leave me out of it entirely. Thank you for your thoughtful reply. Of course so far from what I see you are BEST at expressing yourself thoughtfully logically carefully. We may not always agree but I am always impressed with the level of your discourse and the knowledge behind it. For what it's worth..my two cents! Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday to thee! :)
I have a suspicion your desire to be invisible and my desire to be "invincible" stemmed from similar struggles with shyness.
As best I can recall, my desire to be "The best there is" at something had nothing to do with wanting to dominate other people or necessarily seeking fame and fortune. I just wanted something that I felt unequivocally validated me, so when I was dealing with other people I could be confident that I had something worthwhile to offer. Much of this desire has faded as I matured, became more socially adept (more being a relative term...), and found more avenues to be valuable to other people.
One curious condition I still possess, which I believe is related to the above, is I tend to see my own efforts and accomplishments as ordinary and unexceptional, even if others find them praiseworthy.
For example, I thank you for the compliment about my abilities to express myself clearly and logically, but to me it's just me doing what I do. I don't see anything exceptional about it. I'm not sure what, if anything, can or should be done about that...
Nothing sweetie. How I perceive you and how you perceive you are really irrelevant as they affect each other. I know what I know which is what I think and what I feel. I can't possibly know that about anyone else nor can you. So my advice is accept praise graciously because if you don't it's a slap in the face to the giver. It's as if I were complimenting a gal on her beautiful dress and she says "What? This old thing?" Makes me feel stupid. I don't understand why people don't understand that. Accept a compliment with grace and respect because that is how it is given. How YOU perceive isn't the issue. Whether you think you are deserving or not isn't the issue. A gift given should be appreciated at least outwardly. It is unkind to do otherwise. SIGH. Once again I beat a dead horse to death but I think you get my point. At the very least you say "thank you. I appreciate that. Hopefully you mean it. If not keep it to yourself. It is kinder that way! :)
Sad that. You've been MIA for a couple days on the mug. Is all OK with you and yours? Didja watch the exceptionally fine EXTRAORDINARY 5-set match between John Millman and Roger Federer? I doubt the Final will be better than that! Thank you for your reply R and Happy Saturday/Sunday to ya! :)
Overdid the bandwidth on the tablet when out of Wi-Fi range. $10 per gig over. Had to wait for rollover, I don't Mug much at home. Saw a little of the Fed/Millman match, Fed is in the twilight of his career and it's starting to show. His touch is still exquisite but he's struggling to cover the court like he used to. Nick is still being Nick (unfortunately) and Alex de Minotaur is sidelined with injury, so I'm more inclined to watch the women's. Coco is running everybody ragged - how good would a Coco v Ash final be?
OMG in my dreams R! Serena got booted in the 3rd round. Coco was AMAZING! Ash is always a delight and fun to watch. That would indeed be a match of the ages. The best thing? Though I'd be rooting for Coco I'd be happy if Ash won! So how often can you say that about ANY competition? I mean I love them both and I'm rooting for both of them with a slight edge for Coco of course! You couldn't write a better script than that! Fingers crossed! I'm sorry you had that inconvenience computerwise but very glad it was nothing serious. As for Roger he pulled it off by some miracle. I thought he was very honest when he spoke so highly of John and we both know it could have been John who won and Roger said that. Now John is 30 and Roger is 38. I'm pretty sure that makes a difference. 8 more years of pounding on the legs. I would like Roger to get to 21 slam wins before he retires. Rafa is breathing down his neck win-wise and I'm sure will eclipse him. Novak has never been a favorite of mine but Jim likes him a lot. Where he will stack up in tennis history I don't know. Thank you for your informative reply R and Happy Sunday to you and yours! :)
I at one time wanted to be a vet. But thought more about it when realizing that would involve seeing animals needing help and the owner not having the money. Dealing with having to put some down etc. Not for me.
I also thought about being a recording engineer and a music producer. But I decided that would likely put me in close contact with people I really did not want to be that close to. I know those are stereotypes.
I had very brief thought of military.
I decided on accounting. I took college classes. I met my husband and we started our own business. (Contruction then retail manufacturing now) I have always done our accounting and taxes.
So we have that in common. I was an internal auditor. Never did taxes though except our own personal taxes. We had certified public accountants at work to do that and also check out my work at year end. I prepared all the working papers to support what I had done and my MOST FUN TIME was at year end when the auditors came in and reviewed my work. It was like having taken a test and getting to find what I did right and what I could have done better. I love tests. It's the only way to find what you know and what you don't! Thank you for your illuminating reply m2c. None of those other things you mentioned appeal to me. I'd be very lousy attempting any one of the them. The military? Hahahahahahaha! Following orders that make no sense is not my cuppa tea. I love animals but cutting into one I could not handle if surgery were required. I have no talent for music. I took 4 years of piano and about a month of violin as a kid. I am an excellent appreciator thereof but not a creator. :)
This post was edited by RosieG at January 26, 2020 8:26 AM MST
), and found more avenues to be valuable to other people.
Element 99 