Fresh Eyes & Second Chances

By Mike Johnson

It’s true that when you retire, you put miles on the rocker, lost in the warm reverie of the good old days.

As it should be. Ambition is a nag that we tolerate far too many decades. A good partner in her season, but once gone, the house is a lot more peaceful.

I drove down the mountain yesterday to pick up my cello. Snowy roads mean our packages are dropped at the convenience store two miles below.

I played cello from 6th thru 11th grade. I say played, but I really mean survived. We never really bonded. Playing 300-year-old music was part of it. But the real reason was the darn thing was too big to carry home to practice.

So 50 years later, I’m giving us a second chance.

So far she's only out of the box. But what a beauty! Especially since she only cost 200 bucks. Like taking a date for coffee instead of dinner, I didn’t want to dive in too deep before feeling a connection.

But when I sat down and held her, I knew. My hands slid right into position. I remembered right where to touch her. When I picked up the bow, my fingers splayed right into classical position, just as they had 50 years ago. Muscle memory is real.

Now I have to relearn how to set her bridge and tune her strings. And then everything else.

I figure I’ve already broken even because I just love looking at her curves.

Especially since I only traded worth-less digital dollars for a real, physical, musical instrument. Suckers!

The perspective of age and experience has the power to make old things new. It’s fun to explore old experiences with fresh eyes.

I recommend looking back. There’s a reason you experienced something in the past.

If you weren’t quite ready for it then, I bet you are now.

Give it another go.

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More cello:

Are You Playing the Right Instrument?

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