Dear Kim,
I signed my daughter up for piano lessons last month because she begged and begged, claiming it was her dream to be a Pianist. I even went so far as to buy her a used upright piano to practice on. Suddenly, she’s decided that she’s no good at it and lacks natural talent, so she wants to quit. I’m not sure if I should make her continue or let her give up. What would you do?
Sincerely,
Pain in the Piano, Pam
Dear Pam,
Let me give you some straight forward advice in the most roundabout way that I can…
When I was in high school, I remember my father desperately trying to lower his blood pressure by trying a variety of relaxation techniques suggested to him by his doctor.
One day, he came home with a Yanni tape and announced to the family that he was going to listen to this “angel of the piano” everyday, in the car, on his way home from work. He believed that, after 5pm, Yanni was his key to a stress free existence. After 7pm, it was vodka.
Pam, this is how that went:
Day 1: One minute in, the tape deck ate his Yanni tape.
So…he went out and bought another one.
Day 2: Five minutes in, the tape deck ate his second Yanni tape.
So…he went out and bought another one.
Day 3: The tape deck ate his third Yanni tape …and spit it out!
So…he pulled up to our house and grabbed his hammer from the laundry room. He then walked past my frightened mother, pulled the tape deck out of car and began smashing it all over the sidewalk. Not surprisingly, the two approaching church missionaries made a u-turn.
Day 4: He went out and bought a new tape deck and a fourth Yanni tape.
And that bitch worked, Pam! It worked! I never saw a man so relaxed.
The Moral
That week, I learned three moderately valuable lessons from my dad:
Lesson 1- Always use medication to treat high blood pressure.
Lesson 2- Foam flip flops embedded with crushed electronics can double as tap shoes.
Lesson 3- Never give up on your dreams! (unless your dreams are bat shit crazy and involve me.)
Pam, I recommend sharing this inspirational story with your daughter, I think she’ll have a change of heart, and perhaps be moved to tears. I’m told my stories usually evoke tears.
Yours Truly (but not really),
Kim
[embedit snippet=”yani”]
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