Day 60. Everyone must know how I am struggling. I am getting advice and help from everyone. I get everyone's insight and input from phone calls, emails and during conversations. These insights and inputs are sometimes bad. For instance, I have a comment on the blog that says bagpipes are stupid and I need something more challenging like the last challenge (Tough Guy.) Coming from someone who signs "anonymous," I will sweep that one under the rug for the cat to pee on later. But some of the insight and input has impact and worth holding on to use in a challenge. Once or twice every week I have lunch with Matt. He is the type of friend that everyone needs to discuss troubles and talk about life in a constructive and productive manner. He always has good heartfelt advice and I appreciate that about him. Matt comes from a great family even though everyone just calls him Jouppi, as if he was going to be the only one that turned around at his family reunion if you yelled HEY JOUPPI! He gave me a book the other day. The book is called Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. As he handed me the book he said something that has not left my mind. He said, "Maybe this can help you with your challenges." How profound. Whether he meant to or not he offered to help with my challenges. If you know Matt, you'll understand what I am about to tell you. He has a problem. It is the same problem I have been told I have over and over again, Cantsaynoidus or not having the ability to say NO. "Hey Matt, I have a leaky roof can you help?" "Hey Matt, I am moving can you help?" "Hey Matt I need a kidney can you help?" and the same answer will always surface, "Okay." He obviously has his own challenges. If Matt always has his plate full of "can you's" then how does he have the time to stop, think of my challenges and offer to help? You may be thinking, Steeno, don't put too much into this, he didn't offer to help, he handed you a book. But he didn't just hand me a book. He handed me something that I didn't even realize I needed, but I do. This book is about discovering the secret of a man's soul. Take this excerpt from the book:
"Simply look at the dreams and desires written in
every boy's heart: to be a hero, to be a
warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk.
Sadly, most men abandon those dreams and desires."
every boy's heart: to be a hero, to be a
warrior, to live a life of adventure and risk.
Sadly, most men abandon those dreams and desires."
This author gives a look inside the true heart of a man and gives men permission to be what God designed them to be---dangerous, passionate, alive, and free. The ability to dig deep and learn yourself. How well do you know yourself or the methods of your abilities. Do you approach everything you do in the same manner? Think about your temptations. Do you go and do something constructive or do you sit on the couch. Do you approach work the same as your workouts? This is my problem......challenge.
I have a challenge within my Challenge and I need to face it. Now this isn't a challenge like the Tough Guy or something knuckle-dragging or manly, and this challenge is more than bagpipes. It is with myself. As I become more frustrated at not doing well at my chanter or bagpipes, I realize that it is me that is not doing well..my approach....not my focus, but how I am going about my training. Is it training or practice, or something else I am not thinking of? I have to say this is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Let me put this into perspective. Every time I pick up this chanter I wonder how this is helping me with my bagpipe training. Similar to Daniel-san not understanding the painting the fence or sanding the floor helped him with karate. Is it odd that I treat or approach everything like it is a sport? I guess it is understandable considering I have played sports since I was in diapers. Not saying I am good at sports, but love playing sports and have had some success. Now that I coach football and soccer my mindset is skewed into "the man" mode. I think that the reason that my "training" isn't going as well as I'd hope is because of my approach. This needs to be treated like an instrument or art. I can't muscle my way or sweat my way through this. If I am not playing correct or holding the note right I can't just "dig deep or go, go, go!!"
I don't know why I feel like this is so foreign to me. I picked up the guitar when I was 12 and learned to play on my own. Since then I have taught myself the guitar, violin, the bass, harmonica and a bit of the piano none of which I have mastered, hence the title. So why not approach this the same way? As an artist you'd think I would use that mentality, but I'm not. I don't feel it fits. When I sit down to draw or paint I just do it, it comes natural. I visualize it and put it on the canvas or substrate. It is not like I can just hear the music of Amazing Grace by the 48th and expect to duplicate it by osmosis. SIDEBAR! Can Osmosis happen that way or do you have to touch something? (End Sidebar) just so you know, Ang and I watch a television show called Parks and Recreation on NBC. In this show a character is played by SNL alumni Amy Poehler. She plays this Parks Department manager who is very quirky. In the middle of meetings she always interjects and yells "sidebar!" goes off on a tangent and then ends the sidebar out loud and proceeds with the meeting like she never did the sidebar. Ang and I started to adopt this sidebar at home. For instance we will be eating dinner, having a conversation and Ang, in mid-sentence, will say "sidebar" can you pass the salt? "End sidebar!" We sit there and laugh. Funny thing about Ang is that she in fact is the funny one in our duo. Everyone thinks I am because I am "trip on myself" funny, but Ang is the "I'm a serious business woman" and then gives the surprise humor and it seems out of character. When in actuality it is very in-character- - she is very witty. Crap, I forgot to yell Sidebar. Well, End Sidebar anyway.
As for my chanter-practice-approach dilemma, the best thing for me to do is to take it to the pros. It takes practice and more practice. I need some professional help so I am going to contact the one man that everyone goes to for musical advice- Tom from Tom's Music Store. Tom is the father of one of my closest friends, Todd. Tom is a great person and the most qualified person to ask advice because he is a retired high school music teacher and band leader. He is perfect. He has taught 10's of thousands of kids how to play instruments over a 30 year period. This is just what I need, someone to teach me the proper approach. Maybe he can be my Mr. Miyagi and I will have to paint his fence or wax his cars in order to learn the bagpipes. Sounds like absolutely no fun but the good thing is I will get a vintage car out of it:) I might have one big hiccup, Joann (Tom's better half...best half) and I have been emailing her over the past couple days and she tells me that he is in Florida doing stereotypical retired activities. In case you don't know that means: pickle ball, shuffle board, soaking up the sun etc. The only thing she left out is the 4pm dinners and bingo at the club house. So maybe my Miyagi might have to be an e-Miyagi or a tele-Miyagi. Well I guess anything I can get from this fellow Packer-backer I will be grateful and use it to the best of my ability. If not at least Matt's book will guide me to dealing with my challenges better. Whether those challenges are from this blog or the challenges I face while doing these challenges for the Blog or challenging the challenges while facing the challenges of this blog it is good to know that I have people to help me along the way. Well off to the practice fields and hope that I come out a bagpipe playing fool. Practice fields? Man I need help.
I have a challenge within my Challenge and I need to face it. Now this isn't a challenge like the Tough Guy or something knuckle-dragging or manly, and this challenge is more than bagpipes. It is with myself. As I become more frustrated at not doing well at my chanter or bagpipes, I realize that it is me that is not doing well..my approach....not my focus, but how I am going about my training. Is it training or practice, or something else I am not thinking of? I have to say this is going to be a lot harder than I thought. Let me put this into perspective. Every time I pick up this chanter I wonder how this is helping me with my bagpipe training. Similar to Daniel-san not understanding the painting the fence or sanding the floor helped him with karate. Is it odd that I treat or approach everything like it is a sport? I guess it is understandable considering I have played sports since I was in diapers. Not saying I am good at sports, but love playing sports and have had some success. Now that I coach football and soccer my mindset is skewed into "the man" mode. I think that the reason that my "training" isn't going as well as I'd hope is because of my approach. This needs to be treated like an instrument or art. I can't muscle my way or sweat my way through this. If I am not playing correct or holding the note right I can't just "dig deep or go, go, go!!"
I don't know why I feel like this is so foreign to me. I picked up the guitar when I was 12 and learned to play on my own. Since then I have taught myself the guitar, violin, the bass, harmonica and a bit of the piano none of which I have mastered, hence the title. So why not approach this the same way? As an artist you'd think I would use that mentality, but I'm not. I don't feel it fits. When I sit down to draw or paint I just do it, it comes natural. I visualize it and put it on the canvas or substrate. It is not like I can just hear the music of Amazing Grace by the 48th and expect to duplicate it by osmosis. SIDEBAR! Can Osmosis happen that way or do you have to touch something? (End Sidebar) just so you know, Ang and I watch a television show called Parks and Recreation on NBC. In this show a character is played by SNL alumni Amy Poehler. She plays this Parks Department manager who is very quirky. In the middle of meetings she always interjects and yells "sidebar!" goes off on a tangent and then ends the sidebar out loud and proceeds with the meeting like she never did the sidebar. Ang and I started to adopt this sidebar at home. For instance we will be eating dinner, having a conversation and Ang, in mid-sentence, will say "sidebar" can you pass the salt? "End sidebar!" We sit there and laugh. Funny thing about Ang is that she in fact is the funny one in our duo. Everyone thinks I am because I am "trip on myself" funny, but Ang is the "I'm a serious business woman" and then gives the surprise humor and it seems out of character. When in actuality it is very in-character- - she is very witty. Crap, I forgot to yell Sidebar. Well, End Sidebar anyway.
As for my chanter-practice-approach dilemma, the best thing for me to do is to take it to the pros. It takes practice and more practice. I need some professional help so I am going to contact the one man that everyone goes to for musical advice- Tom from Tom's Music Store. Tom is the father of one of my closest friends, Todd. Tom is a great person and the most qualified person to ask advice because he is a retired high school music teacher and band leader. He is perfect. He has taught 10's of thousands of kids how to play instruments over a 30 year period. This is just what I need, someone to teach me the proper approach. Maybe he can be my Mr. Miyagi and I will have to paint his fence or wax his cars in order to learn the bagpipes. Sounds like absolutely no fun but the good thing is I will get a vintage car out of it:) I might have one big hiccup, Joann (Tom's better half...best half) and I have been emailing her over the past couple days and she tells me that he is in Florida doing stereotypical retired activities. In case you don't know that means: pickle ball, shuffle board, soaking up the sun etc. The only thing she left out is the 4pm dinners and bingo at the club house. So maybe my Miyagi might have to be an e-Miyagi or a tele-Miyagi. Well I guess anything I can get from this fellow Packer-backer I will be grateful and use it to the best of my ability. If not at least Matt's book will guide me to dealing with my challenges better. Whether those challenges are from this blog or the challenges I face while doing these challenges for the Blog or challenging the challenges while facing the challenges of this blog it is good to know that I have people to help me along the way. Well off to the practice fields and hope that I come out a bagpipe playing fool. Practice fields? Man I need help.
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