So, I don't write about Dan too often. Mostly it is out of respect for his privacy. He doesn't read this, and I don't blame him - hearing about your life through someone else's eyes would feel pretty strange. But tonight I can't help but write about him and the new gift he is giving our family.
After bugging him about ideas for Christmas, about a week and a half before the day itself, he comes out with the fact that he would really like a used guitar. This wasn't totally out of the blue. Nine years ago we went to the EMP (Experience Music Project in Seattle) just after it's opening. There was a room there filled with "tester" instruments - basically the early version of Guitar Hero, but with real instruments. He had a blast playing around with the guitar and bass, and since then has had this idea that someday he would like to learn how to play.
Well, it turns out that he wanted to make this that time. So, being the romantic that I am, I gave him ...a check. Turns out that after some conversations with guitar playing friends, the guitar player should really choose their own instrument. It needs to fit them, feel and sound good to them, and motivate them to put the work in. And about two weeks after Christmas, he found it - a steel blue electric guitar. (Now, he had told me that he wanted an acoustic, but I always knew that there was a deeper yearning to be a crazy rocker lurking in the heart of my mild-mannered computer geek.)
Like everything else he does well, Dan is teaching himself. He plays every night, and in fact, is out with friends tonight playing. The callouses are developing on the tips of his fingers and the practicing of chords reigns supreme.
And I am in love with his new hobby. Nightly I get the gentle sounds of strumming cascading down the stairs to where I sit working on my laptop. The boys eagerly follow him up and beg to help strum, or join in on their own instruments. And Dan himself is finding a great release at the end of the day that he has been hoping for.
My house is filled with music, and I owe him big for his Christmas gift that turned out to be a present for all of us.
7 months ago
3 comments:
I would never have predicted that Dan had any desire to pick up this hobby. Should have known the first time I saw him play guitar hero. He was a natural! Again I say, isn't it great that your husband can still surprise you after all this time?
We have been to that same music experience in Seattle. You don't want to hear me sing. Maybe he will write a song for you one day, that would be fun. What a nice christmas gift, very cool post. I like Aunt Mare's post too.
I love it! I could have seen a blue electric in his future...
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