The reward of perseverance....or how I learned to play the guitar.

When I was 14 my dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday. In one of the most significant moments of my life, I asked him for a guitar. I had always shown some musical inclination, however I had never asked for lessons before then. Getting the guitar was the easy part. Learning how to play it was a completely different story.
I first asked my uncle to teach me. I knew he could play, so I figured he would be happy I took an interest in learning. Very soon I learned that family members are not reliable instructors. The lessons were never consistent and soon they were all but forgotten.

My second attempt was self instruction. I had learned some basic principles, and I figured I could just pick up a book and teach myself the rest of the way. That also ended up in failure, since the method I picked up assumed a deeper understanding than what I had learned so far.

Six months later I was no closer to playing than before I got the instrument. That's when my dad asked me if I wanted to take some lessons. We found a little academy where I could go after school four days a week. My dad would pay for it, but it was up to me to go and learn.

The experience taught me way more than just how to play an instrument. I learned the value of perseverance and the importance of practice. I learned to play in the three months of the course. I would go for my one hour lesson and then go home and practice for 2 more hours, reviewing what I had learned up to then. Doing so was not easy. I was mocked and ridiculed at home, since I would practice the guitar instead of playing with my brothers and they other kids on the block. However I didn't let that detract me from my goal. I did notice a significant difference in how fast I progressed compared to my classmates. That principle has helped me out in life. It taught me to persevere in spite of criticism from friends and family. Now, over 25 years later, I can play the guitar beautifully. It is one of my most rewarding skills that I have learned in my life.

Thank you for taking your time to read this post. I hope you can take something from my story that would help you in whatever struggles you may encounter in your life. Until next time, keep it up!