Bagpipe lessons

 

Not very many months ago, Andrew woke up from a good night's sleep and announced he needed to learn to play the bagpipes. Just like that.  So he did the research, found a group and asked if he could have a look.  Looking turned into wild enthusiasm, wild enthusiasm turned into the purchase of the required chanter, and the purchase turned into daily practice.  His only regret, he says, is that he didn't start sooner.

There comes a time when we all think that: I wish I had done something earlier in life.  For me, that wish is that I would have liked to write a moderately successful novel.  Nothing flashy - just a masterly crafted, well thought out, gripping tale of intrigue, grounded in a rich tapestry of well rounded characters' lives.   Luckily I don't take myself too seriously, and can chuckle at such grandiose ambitions.  I am happy to scribble stories into soft cover A5 notebooks which I chuck away when they are full. 

But the concept of You Are Never Too Old to Learn is an excellent one.  I remember the awe I felt when I was involved with adult literacy and I watched people who had been denied an education determinedly and patiently tackle letters and sounds until they could read. The age group ranged from thirty to eighty, and the stumbling blocks  (economics, home language, work and family responsibilities...) gigantic. But determination is a great empower-er, and that is worth remembering.

Being open to learning is perhaps one of life's greatest skills.  It requires a healthy sense of self, so we don't feel we  have to go around proving ourselves or always being right. Or always knowing.  I wish the education system taught the art of questioning in the curriculum.  I would have benefitted from that as a teenager. And as an adult.  

Some questions we need to ask are not just about how things work or gaining skills.  Some are about the why and wherefores of human behaviour. Starting with the self, of course.  I want to know where I fit in the world, and who I am in relation to you.

Andrew's bagpipe group spends time socializing after practice.  This give the experience a wholeness, I think, and this camaraderie is crucial to the learning process.  He is still on the chanter phase - the bags and pipes will follow in due course - and he can knock out quite a few recognisable tunes.  I am looking forward to following his progress, and will, I promise, post a photo when he reaches the full regalia stage.  I think a kilt will suit him.

As for me - well who knows.  maybe after a good night's sleep I will one day know exactly the plot of my unborn novel.  And I will need to write it. In the meantime I will make a list of all the other things I wish I had done earlier, and see how many of them I can tick off in the coming years.

 

  

Books

books

Despite my  (or maybe because of my) love of reading and books, I have never belonged to a book club.  I am not much of a wine drinker, to be honest, and that seems to be a prerequisite these days.  But that is not the real reason, obviously.  It is more that I am just not much of a group person, and prefer seeing people on a one to one basis, so I can enjoy their company and chatting without group dynamics.  I am pretty much the same way with books - I am not one of those people who can have several books "on the go" at the same time, dipping into each for a little bit.  I like to focus my concentration on a particular text and give it my full attention.  This is probably because I get deeply involved in my books.  I enter wholeheartedly into the plots, the characters' lives, the page turning, even the punctuation. I am a bit obsessive - I can see that!  I am also wary of recommending books to a group of people because my experience of a book is very unlikely to be the same as yours.  Reading is not only about the words on the page, but also about where your thoughts are at a particular time; whether the sun is shining on the chair you like reading in, whether the dishes are done, who is at home, how the children are.  You know what I mean.  It's personal.

I admire people who belong to book clubs.  They are readers and thinkers and sharers, and the world needs as many of these people as possible.   Their commitment to supporting the print industry is important too.  I am just not one of them. 

More books

Andrew jokes - at least I hope he is joking!- that if I buy any more books and put them upstairs, the floor might cave in under the weight. We would be pulverised by literature.  I do have a large collection -  I have a wealth of words.  And I am very happy to share my bounty with you - come and see if anything takes your fancy, or I can set you up on a blind date with a book I think might be a good fit. No questions asked when you return it. As long as it's personal.

I have just finished reading a memoir that left me feeling raw, and shaken, and moved.  There was a vague synergy between this book and where I find myself at the moment.  When I put it down, I felt bereft, and took a while to leave her world and re inhabit my own body.  Such is the power of reading for me.

Some books are just pure escapist fun - I love a good weekend read that leaves me smiling and happy and admiring people who have the gift of giving joy to so many people.

Even more books....

I worked in the adult literacy field many moons ago.  It was such gratifying work, because I can't imagine a world without reading. It plays such an integral part in our lives. From work to entertainment, social networking to life management, reading and writing are the backbone of how we live.  

To me, words are personal.