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April 16, 2013

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Jacq

Yes! At some point it's time to let go of plans and just go with being prepared - even if it's only mentally. Expecting life to be like it is at a job that someone's been at for XX years where you know what's going to happen or what needs to be done doesn't really work when you're totally self-directed and can do almost anything with your time. It's like a road trip where you're just heading east but not thinking about the shortest way to get there or planned around other people's "must see" stops. Imagine all those fun (unknown til you pass by) things you'd miss along the way if you planned that trip out entirely.

Jacq

Weird. The first word in the captcha code was "prepared". Just had a woo woo moment. :-)

Both of my sisters had a minor in music but I only got up to grade 5 before dropping out. Oddly, after that I played more than they did but was ok with not being perfect but good enough and wanting to have fun with it (and being competitive and wanting to play what they were playing). I suspect there's a pattern there. ;-)

RJ

It has been a while since we heard from you Syd. I'm glad to hear that it was a respite instead of an emergency. Yeah, blogging takes time and sometimes other things get a higher priority. My two and a half acre homestead will soon be calling me away from my keyboard too. But I do enjoy getting outside so that is a good thing.

Pianos, I don't remember what they sound like but I'm sure yours makes some beautiful sounds.

Retired Syd

Jacq: Yes, I like your road-trip analogy. Do you play the piano anymore now that you don't have sisters to compete with?

RJ: I am always amazed that you can keep up your twice a day posting schedule. But no one will fault you for enjoying some fresh air!

Retired Syd

Jacq: Oops, I didn't mean you don't have sisters anymore! Just that they aren't in your house to compete with.

MiriamR

Hi Syd,
I retired early two months ago and have found your blogs inspirational, full of common sense and helped me with the right perspective. Part of retirement is having the flexibility to blog when you are ready and the joy of learning something new and finding the joy in that.

It's great that you have embraced a new avocation to explore and make it your own. I am a fiber artist and love having the time to take it further. From that perspective, obsession should be part of the fun!

Keep us informed with your journey -- its' been 2 1/2 months so far and I hope the novelty doesn't wear off.
BTB -- how DO you find time to blog? There is too much to learn!

dgpcolorado

Syd, One of the nice things about being retired is that you can do what you want rather than what you must. If that is learning the piano for now, have at it. Don't make your blogging into a "job"!

But, yes, I noticed your silent spell and had guessed you were traveling.

Retired Syd

Miriam: Well congratulations! I see that you already discovered the truth about retirement--that there are still not enough hours in the day for everything. Don't worry about the novelty wearing off, if it does, you just figure out what your new obsession needs to be!

DGP: Well I wasn't traveling, but did have some other adventures besides piano playing which I will share soon. Thanks for still being there when I picked up my computer again!

Cathy Severson

Isn’t that one of the great things about retirement is you get to go where the wind blows. Play the piano and when you get inspired, write your blog. It’s all good.

linda vaughn

I love your blog. It is really helping me in my relatively new retirement.

Jacq

Only one sister left, but I bought a keyboard a few years ago and played only a bit while I was off two falls ago. Will be playing again when I'm off this fall. I think. We'll see how the novel goes this summer. The sister that died and I wrote our first novel together when we were ~ 11 and 14. I think it's time to give that another kick at the can too. YOLO! ;-)

retireby40

Improvising is a difficult skill to learn. We live such structured lives for so long that many of us don't know how to improvise anymore. Kids are so much better in this department. They just do whatever they feel like at any moment and life is good for them. :)
Cheers.

Retired Syd

Cathy: Exactly!

Linda: Thanks and congratulations!

Jacq: Sorry to read that about your sister. But what a couple of child prodigies you two were!

RB40: Right you are--you should click on the related link to this post about the 12 year old piano player--talk about good at improvising!

Kelly

Hi Syd. Retirement looks different than I thought it would too. I pictured doing a lot of nothing and now I find that when I am doing things that I love to do, it is not work at all and it earns money. So I am contented and earning. Is that retirement?

Beth

Syd, so great that you're actually doing this (taking piano lessons, and most importantly practicing)! Thanks for attaching the links to your blog posting. I loved the article and the video of the 12-yr-old jazz pianist - what a kick! I took piano lessons as a child and teen, and played frequently as a young adult, but have been away from it for too many years due to career, moves, and competing priorities. Your blog and the links you attached have inspired me to take start playing the piano again. Never too late to learn, or re-learn, as the case may be!

Retired Syd

Kelly: Sounds like you have the best of both worlds!

Beth: That article about stress-relief is exactly how I feel about piano right now, not that I have much stress anymore! But there is something that happens to my brain when I'm playing, and so I believe what she wrote is true about the positive effect on our brains and mood. I highly recommend you jump back in, you won't regret it!

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