My Journal #2

Lightening or a catastrphic incident?

Prompt: You are struck by lightning and now have a new talent. What is your new talent?

I just saw a man who hit his head in a diving accident and when he came to he was able to hear, play and record the piano. I saw him perform a new piece he said he just "heard in his head"
I went to a Collingsworth family concert the other night. The mother, Kim, played the piano at 3 after hearing her sister play. She had 3-5 lessons and the teacher called the mother saying, I don't know what to do with this girl." She had out performed the teacher. At age 7 she became the church pianist. She played by ear.  Now I don't know if she learned to read music since as she plays with no score.  She plays with more heart and soul than I have heard by many pianists.
At the concert after she played a piece her husband laughed and said, "Maybe when you get to heaven, you can ask if you can play like that." If we all could play like that it wouldn't be as special. She practiced. That is why she plays and I "hunt and "peck."
I know the notes on the piano. I can play the parts one finger at at time. I can read the notes on the page and play them, I just can't play two hands at once AND read the music and hit the right notes. THAT takes practice. I'm not that interested. I'd love to wake up one morning and play like Kim Collingsworth. Then I think, my life would change.
One of this month's newsletters spoke about the book/movie The Giver. All negative is taken from the people's life.  They no longer had choices. When I read this prompt, I thought my life would drastically change. What if I could no longer choose what I wanted to do from that time on? What if I wasn't able to sit at the computer and write stories? What if my time was taken with practicing new songs on the piano?
Don't get me wrong I love the piano. I had a baby grand player. I had accomplished pianists come and record my favorites songs on it. I bought the CD's with the digial imprint so it looked like someone was actually playing songs.
If I had the choice of waking up with a gift, I think I'd rather be a writer people wanted to read. I wish that I could hide away and just write my little heart out instead of work two part time jobs to make ends meet. Life is hard. Yet the joys are abundant when they come and I appreciate them. If someone paid my way to a weekend writing escape I'd be in 7th heaven. I'm not difficult to please, just devoted to learning and executing my craft.
I think I'd leave playing the piano to a pleasant dream.