In A Galaxy of My Own

It isn’t fabulous… but it’s pretty darn good for a first try!

I’ve been telling myself that I was going to write a new and interesting post for the last 2 weeks. But when it comes to the interesting part, I’m stumped. I could write about how interesting work HASN’T been and all that jazz, but I’ll spare you the boring details.

Music. Music has been a part of my existence for as long as I can remember! It started with a piano and trips to Grandma’s house. I was amazed at the sounds that would come from it when you hit the keys. For awhile my cousin Becky tried to teach me Mary Had A Little Lamb, but I was only 5 and had the smallest attention span ever! Cousin Becky was my idol. She could play the piano and the flute! Wowza! So spending time with her was always a highlight of my childhood.

The first official thing I learned to play was the C Major scale. To anyone who is familiar with music that would be the most basic fundamental scale out there. I was so proud of myself when I first walked my fingers up the keyboard without making a mistake. “Mommy what’s next?!” I always asked. She said she would teach me something new next week and of course the next day the same question popped out.

When we moved to Kentucky my grandmother gave us that piano as a housewarming gift and Mom started looking for piano teachers. I started lessons when I was 8 and I even got to leave school early every Tuesday to take them. Oh yeah I was special. When I hit middle school I started playing the trumpet in Band. My twin sister and I were flower girls in my Aunt and Uncle’s wedding and they hired a trumpet player for the ceremony. I was enthralled from the moment the rehearsal started.

Shortly after my trumpet career, my piano lessons ended. I remember being so upset. My twin sister was taking them too and she never enjoyed it like I did. So she told my mother she wanted to quit so mom told our teacher we were both quitting. I remember a lot of yelling and a lot of crying that day.

My trumpet career only lasted 2 years. 2 great years I might add! I was the best trumpet player in 6th grade AND 7th grade. Before my 8th grade year started my band director wanted me to switch to the French horn. At first I thought that was the worst idea ever. I loved my trumpet and I loved always being at the top. (Who doesn’t?) But I gave it a shot and it turned out I liked it a lot better than my trumpet.

I played my French horn through the rest of middle school and all through high school. I had pretty much decided I was going to college for music when I was a sophomore. And I already had my university picked out. My parents bought me a brand new French horn when I graduated. The one I had been playing was on loan to me from the school. French horns are uber expensive and they didn’t expect my parents to pay for something they demanded I switch to. But I finally had a horn of my own. It sparkled. It shined. It made a wonderful sound. I was on cloud 9!

My time spent as a music student wasn’t all bad, but it wasn’t all good either. For one music majors have a lot more on their plate than an average college student. On top of the general education requirements we have to fulfill we have a ton of music requirements to fulfill as well. While some students my age were taking math, english, biology, history, and maybe a religions class… I was taking english, history, music theory (1out of 4), intro to music, private lesson, marching band rehearsal, symphonic band, French horn ensemble, piano class (1 of 4), recital attendence, brass class, and some other stuff I can’t even remember now! I would get up at 7 and have classes and rehearsals till at least 6 or 7. And then I would have to start on the mountains of homework I had AND not to mention the 3 hours of private practicing time I was required to do everyday. The only thing positive I can say about the whole experience is that I learned to manage my time AND the semester went by fairly fast.

So if I was doing wonderful with my music load, why don’t I have a degree in music by now? Well the answer is one of sadness and understanding. I was in a car accident the night before my junior year started. I wish it were as simple as a fender bender. A guy ran a red light and T-boned my little toyota corolla. I’ll spare the details, thats for another entry. But it ended my music career. I can play now no problem since its been almost 2 years since the accident. But I’ve been forced out of the music loop for so long, it would take me awhile to get back to where I was when I was practicing 3 hours a day. It’s sad since music was always a part of my life for a long time. But it’s ok because during this time I’ve learned that I have other interests that define me. A degree in music would be nice but it is not necessary. In fact, there is very little I can do with that degree and one thing I have always wanted is a degree that works for me. I don’t want to look back on my school years and regret the choices I made because I’m struggling to find a solid career so I can provide for my family.

Everyday I think about where I would be now if that accident hadn’t happened. What kind of music I would be playing and what level of difficulty I would be at. But no regrets. The past is the past and the only thing I can do is look to the future. I’m pursuing a degree in psychology and I’m hoping to return to my university in about a year. (I moved back home and am attending the local community college). I’m happy, healthy, and excited for what the years will bring. But as for music… I still have my piano and my French horn that isn’t so shiny anymore. Nor does it sparkle. But it still makes that beautiful sound.

“ Music is what feelings sound like. ” - unknown

I won’t point out the obvious that it has been forever since my last blog. I hit the ground running with this space since I splurged on a brand new laptop and was ready to explore all the wonderful things the net world had to offer. But unfortunately the dream world contained within my shiny new laptop collapsed when I had to send it back due to the RAM being faulty. That was 48 days ago and my beautiful laptop is in a world unknown to me. I’m beginning to think having a new laptop was never meant to be. I still have my trusty desktop (that’s about to die on me any minute, I can feel it!) so there is no excuse as to why my space should go on being empty. But it is part of the reason I haven’t felt the urge to create something witty and entertaining.

Today I venture out into the unknown in search for my next perfect pair of shoes! I have a love for new balance!

When I was 16 I bought my first pair. They were a classic navy blue mesh sneaker with the silver N on the sides. I wore those shoes for 6 years and it’s finally time to say goodbye. They are falling apart and the rubber on the bottoms of them are starting to peel off. I have other New Balances, but they aren’t as comfortable as my old ones. I own a purple suede pair and a yellow suede pair. I thought the suede would work the same as the mesh, but after 3 years they are still stiff and make my feet sore after only a couple of hours of wear. I am by no means a shoe girl. My twin sister inherited that girl fetish. I only buy shoes when I HAVE to have them. I may not be a big shoe person but I am excited about going shoe shopping today. I don’t shop for them often so when I have to, it is kind of fun. I have no idea if I will continue my New Balance tradition or venture into a different brand. I guess it depends on the money tag and my bank account.

I am so excited that spring is finally on its way! There are flowers outside…. FLOWERS! I’m really tempted to take my camera outside and snap some pictures. And the weather is actually bearable without a coat or a jacket. I love having the windows open in my sunny yellow room! It uplifts my mood even when I’m on the verge of a rampage. (And here lately that has been the case.) The ducks and the bunnies that roam our neighborhood are so cute! I should get pictures of those as well and post them up! We have our own little zoo in our backyard!

But it’s now time for my shoe shopping trip! I’m on the hunt for my next shoe companions!

“Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.” - Doug Larson