I had a revelation lately when thinking about what has shaped me into the person I am today. There was one constant tied to plenty of good memories. Not, good with a touch of “but then this happened.” Good from the beginning to the end.
It was a strong presence in my life for so many years, and somehow, in the last decade or more, I allowed myself to put it in the corner to gather dust (literally).
So, here’s the reveal: it’s all about a guitar.
My mom had classical guitar lessons when she was a kid. She didn’t play as an adult anymore, but she kept the book she used in the lessons. And she still had her old guitar. I was about 11 when I found the book and took it for a spin. The rest is history. Oh, but what a history it was.
I learned classical guitar from a book and acoustic guitar from other players over the years. I sang at local concerts, brought my guitar everywhere with me, and made friends. I enjoyed the teenage songwriter bliss in private. The masses only heard me sing and play music by known musicians.
If I had never learned how to play a guitar… I can’t even imagine who I would have become. I would have been lonelier. I would have had less fun. My teenage years would have sucked!
Music brings people together
Here’s the thing about me. I don’t have natural charisma, and I don’t make friends easily. It usually takes people a while to like me because they have to get to know me first. It’s a weakness I’m aware of, and I’m not sure how to overcome.
But when you sing and play, you reveal a side of yourself otherwise hidden. And, I guess, people liked that side of me. So, instead of taking months to get to know me, they would like me just after hearing me sing. I was never popular and yet people knew me. They would invite me to their gatherings and cheer me on as I provided them with entertainment.
Guitar brings people together.
Picture this:
A circle of friends sitting around a bonfire. Two girls start singing songs everyone knows. Will others join them? From my experience, they will if they already have confidence in their singing voice or if they are already drunk. Otherwise, at first only the two best friends will sing and the rest will quietly listen. After the “concert” is over, the actual spending time together can begin with occasional interludes and song requests.
But after a while, this changes. The noise of the guitar adds courage to those who maybe would like to join but would otherwise be afraid to. Maybe the guitar will drown out how off-key I am, right? They sing and howl and scream and make fun of the songs they can’t sing. Everyone is a part of it. It’s not a “concert” anymore. It’s “kids having fun.”
And that’s the difference! That’s the guitar difference! It brings people together! Better friendships. Better memories.
And so that’s my momentous realization. Guitar has been my friend maker. My fun maker. My loneliness cutter and an emotional shoulder to lean on. It can be that again. It can be more. I want to make guitar part of my life again.
This is important. I need to make this happen. I’m on a journey to rediscover myself.
This post was previously published on my old blog Stormy Waters of my Life.
