At the piano.....

 An Enemy that Became My Best Friend

Only the piano is left here to talk to me...
It asked, "What is wrong?"
I responded by placing my fingers on the black and white keys.
It asked, "You want to talk?"
I took a deep breath and sighed.
It said, "I'll listen to you."
Then I began to play a piece expressing my anger and pain.
It asked, "You must be in agony."
I continued to play vehemently and pathetically until I hit the final chords.
It then said, "I will always be here as your friend and listen to you. Calm down and wipe your tears. The light will shine your way soon."  

Many years ago, I had stage freights. I didn't like being under the spotlight and watched by a sea of eyes. This may be the integral reason why I had never won a single piano competition.  Every time I performed on stage, my fingers were always bound to trip over a black or white key, and I would hit wrong notes.  Panic and embarrassment would follow.  The demons inside of me fought with my inner fear, until I let out my anger.  "Mom, I want to quit!" I shouted, as I rushed out of the competition with tears gushing out of my eyes.   She ignored me.  "Just because you never had the chance to play piano, doesn't mean I have to play!"  Again, I was ignored.  My piano teacher only encouraged me to fix my mistakes and move forward.  I am still unsure what force had me persevere and not give up this king of all instruments.   At age five, I saw the piano as an irritating beast that must be quickly destroyed, but now I see it as my best friend--a valuable treasure that can never be demolished.  It lives inside my heart, soul, and mind.

  I didn't see this transition from a mediocre pupil to a serious musician coming as I boarded the plane to Italy.  My mom signed me up for an intensive summer music camp that my piano teacher organized in a small seaside town in southern Italy. As soon as I landed and checked in the hotel, I immediately noticed the breathtaking view of the azure Mediterranean in front of me. I thought to myself, "What a beautiful place to learn music." 

   "Okay! Let's get going! Drop your luggages and we must head to the school and start our lessons!" shouted the teacher. "There's no time to waste! We have a performance tomorrow!"

   "Oh goodness, here we go again...," I muttered to myself.  

   "Everyone needs to hug their instruments and practice for at least five hours. You will receive an hour of lesson from one of us instructors. Remember to check the schedule for the time and place of your lesson. Don't be late!"