The C Song

     When I was younger, I took piano lessons. I remember the first lesson I had because it wasn't exactly what I expected. I had always loved watching my mom play the piano at home, and I wanted to play like her right away. As you all probably know, and I soon figured out, piano lessons don't start out with very

impressive tunes. No, the first week I learned what could easily be called the most annoying song ever, the C song. One note, middle C, hit repeatedly. That's it. It didn't seem very exciting at the time, but I eventually came to understand that you need to know where middle C is to know where all the other notes are so that you can play real songs. I did eventually improve, and to this day I can play the first few chords of Pomp and Circumstance from memory, which would be very helpful in the case of an unplanned graduation. So basically never, but there you go. I stopped taking those lessons after a few years because I felt that the teacher wasn't really my style and it was becoming more work than fun. I sometimes wish I had kept going with it, but maybe that's something I'll pursue again in the future. Either way, I feel like my experience with the C song is a metaphor for the impatience I still have today.

    Patience is not my strongest virtue, and I often get frustrated when things don't happen right away. I get so caught up in the end result that I completely overlook the process, wanting to skip right over the "C songs" of life and go straight to the recital worthy tunes. But I am learning that as much as it is in my nature to get bored and frustrated if great things don't happen right away, a lot of the lessons I have learned in life have been in the process of waiting for those great things. I have to remind myself that if I had it my way and was allowed to skip right to the fun stuff, I would miss the things God is trying to teach me along the way, and I would not be prepared to do the right thing in the end. I guess it's good that I'm not in charge, because I'd probably be sitting at a piano to this day trying to play Pomp and Circumstance without finding middle C. 

A picture of young Jennie with the piano in the background, so it seemed appropriate. Such a serious looking child!