Friday, April 2, 2010

B is for...Plenty

The Alphabet; Day 2
I actually had two ideas for “B,” as two of my favorite things start with that letter. The first was Bass, the instrument, not the fish. You see, years ago, a friend & I watched the 10-hour Beatles Anthology, and decided that we would start a band. He was confident that he could sing, and I could play several chords on the guitar. After about a year, we realized that bassists are hard to find, and I wasn't shaping-up to be any kind of guitar hero. Through the miracle of financing, I got a bass & amp and, lo and behold, I was pretty good at it. Playing bass also gave me an ear for what other bassists were doing, and I totally fell in love with the instrument, and what it could do for a song.

The other favorite thing is books. I can't walk past a book shelf without looking at what's there. I love the exposure to fresh ideas, new information, and how woven words can evoke the nature of an event, but also the emotional flavor, and layers of effects on people involved.

Then something else happened today. It was a crazy day in retail land, but most people were in good spirits. Then I saw a Regular, and we greeted one another warmly. I'll call her 'Betty,' to protect her privacy, but she does have a “B” name, so I'm not cheating. We spoke a little about how Calli is doing, and she had to share that her son had been accepted into Harvard. She and her husband were simply giddy, and I was struck with the beauty of the moment. Here we were, virtual strangers with a passing familiarity, and we took a moment to celebrate each others children! I'm glad that that's the most memorable part of a positively exhausting day!

6 comments:

  1. Glad you found the right instrument to play. Guitar is tough some days. I was a music minor in college, but when I picked up guitar a few years ago, it was still a challenge. I have an acoustic and the electric is a Fretlight.
    And sorry, didn't understand the question about the book...

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  2. Ah instruments, book and Kids are the three best topics. Love them all. Mind you them again, I am just an aunt so I only see them for....a couple hours at a time.

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  3. Stopping by from the A to Z challenge! As a singer, I definitely appreciate the wonders that a bass guitar can bring to the music. Its' presence or absence can completely change the whole composition of a song! Good for you and picking it up on your own.

    I too love books!

    Good luck with the challenge, I'll be back to visit!

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  4. Loving this challenge. I find some of my casual friends to be the best. No expectations just pleasant exchanges.

    Can't wait fro C.

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  5. Enjoyed your "B" CHALLENGE post, hope you found the right instrument.
    Looking forward to "C"
    Take care.
    Yvonne.

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  6. Oh, I'm a serious book lover too. Can't seem to get enough of them.

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