Practiced Fingers

You CAN teach an ole' dog new tricks.

It amazes me that I still hear the platitude, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

Really? People continue to use it as excuse for not being able to successfully learn or even attempt a new skill to their satisfaction or expectation. Agreed, learning a new skill is challenging. Let’s be honest, it’s downright hard. Well, I’m here to say that learning a new skill is not a bag of tricks and humans are not dogs. It’s simply a discipline that’s driven by a “want to” passion.

It’s been over one year now and I’m having more fun than ever exploring the world of music with my Fender guitar . . .

You see, in my experience, to remain young at heart, curious, and active, life is about learning and teaching new skills. The emotional and physical rewards are simply undeniable. And if I might add practically unexplainable, but let’s try.

Almost daily I meet customers at Home Depot who say to me, “No one teaches you how to be retired, I find myself lost for something to do.” Why? Have they lost their childlike enthusiasm for curiosity? Don’t they realize that teaching yourself new skills throughout life is what life is all about?

Retirement is not about finding something to do, it’s about doing what you’ve always dreamed of doing but were afraid to try or lacked the time. Everything I’d listened to or read kept encouraging me; dare to dream to re-invent yourself go back to what you loved as a child. It’s never too late to learn something new. So, I did. Every morning I practice guitar. First it’s as simple as warming up your fingers; E Blues Scale, G Major Scale, or simply run the complete neck of the guitar over three octaves. Forwards and backwards. Then it’s practicing the transition between chords, F, G, D, C, and E in time.

I challenge you to try it sometime.

Little by little - by watching lessons on YouTube, trying out new blues riffs, strumming patterns, and playing (or should I say stumbling) through songs that have always moved me - melodic sounds began to ring from my guitar. Every breakthrough an epiphany almost magical.

Face the facts there comes a time when you, once again, like it or not, must adopt the *student mentality. Not because you’re expected to - because you have the desire to want to. No pressure, no grades, no criticism, no shit.

Granted it’s still early in my guitar learning curve. I can almost play something that resembles music. Last week I purchased my first music book with complete songs. Magically I’m working out the songs in that book. It's a challenge. I'm engaged. And it's loads of fun! I’ll need a few more months before I debut on stage with my Fender Stratocaster.

No tricks - just consistent practiced fingers, balanced with relaxed, enjoyable, daily practice.

*Student: One who studies, an attentive systematic participant. A person formally engaged in learning a new skill. The key word here is engaged. This means dedication to daily practice. No matter what skill you are trying to master.

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