A personal Experience

Last year in English 10, we had to write about a meaningful experience in our lives. I wrote about how much music has an effect on my life and how I got where I am now. It made me smile, I wanted to have it as a part of my collection here.

     I always sat and watched my dad play the guitar when i was younger. No matter how long he played or what he played, I would stay and listen until the last note was strum. I'm still the same way today. i would be so proud that he was my dad, not just because he played the guitar, but because of the feeling it gave me. Just a stirring inside like, "Wow, this is incredible.". Seeing someone play with that kind of passion is really a rare thing. And when you catch it, it's something that you never loose in your memory. It almost makes me cry to think of someone playing something so beautiful, thinking of what would happen if he couldn't play anymore. Like a rose so beautiful someday withering to lose its petals.

 

     My father always tried to teach me the guitar but I never held interest till I was about 12 years old. I just got fed up one day after watching him jam on his electric for the longest time and said "Dad, would you teach me something?" he gave me this look like 'Didn't we already try this?' but he nodded and handed me the gigantic box guitar with brass strings that he kept in the corner. I looked at him and he said "If your gonna learn guitar then your gonna learn on this first." I wanted to play entrancing like he did. Holding the captivation of someone with the swift movement of the fingers on the strings. I wanted to have them fly across the fret board and make this amazing masterpiece. But I couldn't until I actually got that infernal Smoke on the Water down. Or at least, that was the first step.

 

     Eventually I got to the point where I actually enjoyed it. Once I started to remember chords and what frets were which anyway. And that took a good year to be comfortable with.

 

     I remember my very first song I ever played. I was sitting in my room and listening to the album Nimrod by Green Day. I had heard the song before but this time something clicked. I actually heard the familiar chords and could place where they went on the guitars frets in my mind. That never happened before, I never paid close enough attention. The song was Good Riddence (Time of your Life) and I still love to play that song to this day.

 

     One day my father came up to me and said "Mike has an old guitar in his closet that he gave me and I put some strings on it. I got it out for you so its yours." I sat there stunned. He said there was a guitar, for me? My very own guitar. He got it out of the car and I couldn't believe it was an "old" guitar. This thing was almost illuminating light ain my eyes as I looked at it. I could barely close my mouth. "M-Mine?" I said and he nodded giving it to me simply. He gave me a small smile and with that, left me in my room.

 

     Its still hard for me to place today how or why my dad did it the way he did. Some would think he would spend some time with me in my room jamming on it with me or just making more and experience out of it since it was my first guitar but he just... gave it to me. Just like that. I think it was for the best to be honest. I think he knew what he was doing. It was a historical moment for me. My very first guitar. Its something that I've held onto like life itself since I learned. Something thats helped me grow in my faith and in my maturity.

 

     I won't be able to ever thank my Dad enough for giving me the gift of music and the guitar itself. I told him one day how much music meant to me and he said "If all I can do in this likfe is give you something to be proud of , then I'm doing good. do the same for your kid."

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

I know it sounds rather...school book ish? But to be honest, all the things in this story really did happen. I actually did try to tell my father how much music meant to me at one point and actually did try to thank him for it. I'm just that kind of child. Take it for what it is. Feel free to comment and share thoughts.

Reviews

[Lee E. Powell]

This story was so heart warming. Your dad seems like a really good guy. I think i can understand why he gave you the guitar the way he did. Let you get to know it your way maybe. Anyway, very nice story.
Ed

[Oxonian]

Sometimes it is good to get these thoughts out, it shows that they matter. If people get that then you have transmitted it to them. Every piece is a step along the right path to learning how YOU want to express yourself.