13. Playing the Piano

When I was 3, I decided that I wanted to play the piano. For Christmas I got a little color coded keyboard with about 6 huge keys on it. It came with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and a few other simple songs, printed on cardboard with color coded notes, perfect for little fingers. It was made for little girls and boys my age. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough. So, shortly after receiving that keyboard, I got another one. This one had smaller keys, and a lot more of them, and had pre-programmed songs. The keys lit up as you played them and it was quite fun to fool around on. But, again, it wasn't enough. Finally, when I was 4, my mom signed me up for piano lessons. We went to the Conservatory where Miss Lee asked if I knew my ABC's (just A-G would be sufficient) and if I could count to 4. I was dismayed. Of COURSE I knew my ABC's (all the way to Z, thank you very much) and I could count too (past 100, for that matter). So, piano began.

I stuck with it through some tough times. There were times I loved it, times I hated it, times I got frustrated, and times I hated the sticker she gave me for completing a song. There were times my wheelchair prevented me from being able to reach the keys and times I wouldn't use my index finger because "my tiny baby cousin Rose touched it and she might die." There was a time when Miss Lee couldn't teach me anything new and I switched to Banae (who is an absolutely amazing piano instructor) and that began a whole new set of tough times. Eventually a time came when sports and school and clubs and babysitting prevented me from having the time for piano, and thus, 12 years later, I had to stop taking lessons.

Now I just fool around with it. I play when I'm home alone and once in awhile with the cousins (who have no patience for learning anything but hitting every key at once). But it's something I still love and something I hope I keep up for a long time to come.

Sunday's Sunny Thing?
The Piano