I agreed to help Pastor C out for this year's Christmas Caroling, since as you might need jogging your memory; Taiping Baptist Church are practically always shorthanded somehow with their almost non-existent of youths. And since I've been helping him out these few months on our fortnightly visits to the Old Folks Homes as backing guitar (and in which became main guitar) I did a Ezra Miller-esque Barry Allen and said "YES" when he asked 3 weeks ago. (oh, of course, not as eager-beaver like in that Justice League trailer)
Went for the first formal practice last Sunday, got the playlist and yeah of course with my recent round of guitar-ing activity, I find myself in increasing difficulty setting to just remember any chord transitions; I do somehow am afraid my memory ain't as good with me being over the hill age-wise; but this nasty short-term memory ain't processing as fast as they used to eh? I might deduce the fact that we somehow just might be conditioned in such as we are too easily absorbed into quick links and our attention span waned thanks to other technologies aka distractions, don't you think?
Anyhow, last Sunday went by pretty OK, and I was pretty upbeat that I can pull it off seemingly how hard could caroling be? encouraging myself; and even Harry asked me have I caroled before (he was with us as he'd stayed on after service for his baptismal class, yay) when I was a wee lad; in which I could be certain I never did play the guitar on caroling, but hazily I do remember doing it somehow or perhaps twice practically a figment of memory with no real comprehension on the when (teen years in Taiping or was it young adult with FGT)
..of course as I shifted through the few bits of both Westworlds (the 1973 movie and the new series finale and writing about it) the days counting until Wednesday when we went to Sunshine Home; I was back to square one: I can't remember the chords, nor some of the rhythm of some songs; both the Christmas hymnals and even the usual few that I alternately played on the Sunshine visits. Thus, I started to feel a bit of nagging fear around the corner that seems to be sneering at me, and spat "Are You Sure?"
I am not even a decent guitar player. Even worse at bass. I suspect I am somewhat tone-deaf in addition to me not being able to read music..but I've played for people and performed in the past. Pretty alright, I suppose, all of the time. I suppose I could carry a tune well enough (imitating-ly ~ I reckon there is no such word, man) and somehow look (half) decent performing it, whilst bandmates/members masked my instruments?
It should be about 21 years ago when I started to hold a guitar and twanged a bit of sound from it. I remember hazily and suppose it must've been some sort of glory days then to have the bunch of us musically illiterate small-town boys learning our chords and practice and jam. Sweat, parched throats, banged ear-drums, tears and blood staked into the mash-up for the simple joy and fame (and dreams, of course)
Eventually some of us went on and became better in playing music, and even 1 of us actually majored in music (I suppose) and in the music industry somewhat. But as for you, Mr Constant Backslider, you have certainly devolved as years go by, of course the bulk of the last 15 years (or so as I recall roughly) of not really touching any instruments has been because of that, although I might say I still do play a mean The Drug's Don't Work still (yeah tried it out finally the other day, albeit with a few mishit of chords; but the feel is still there)
But enough of that.
What I really want to put into scope here is this.
As Pastor C came for a 1-on-1 sesh with me; I was running through the back of my mind that I am facing a sort-of uphill battle to learn quite a bit in this short span of time. Technically in the next 10 days or so, to build up the confidence for the Caroling (should still be able to knock it off easy) and then the 'big one' on Christmas Day for the segmented medley.
But I suppose with prayers, discipline (oh no, something that I lack at times, well most of the time) and with almost all of the tv shows on their mid-season breaks (well, except these additional 5 extra episodes of Vikings Season 4) I suppose my distractions would only come from the few comics and oh, a trip to Penang this Monday; and a wedding to attend this weekend as my run-in to Christmas. Gah! Christmas Cards and gifts!
I am sort-of cramming a few of these: reading sheet music, some easy scales (fingers were forever stiff as *#$k) , remembering sheets and notes and chords, okay, I really do have in good faith the Lord will provide...and of course I've gotta be putting my hours in to getting conditioned to play the guitar.
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| did this moments ago (yeah took a break since fingers numb much faster) and hey, I like this quote yo! |
But Mom somehow told me there should be a box of my old spectrums lying about in my room amongst my keepsakes...and there I was thinking I lost them years ago when I lost most of my belongings. Oh well...