My First New Year's Resolution to Fail OR It's Never Too Late

            At the first writers group of the year, the facilitator gave us the warm-up prompt, “My first New Year’s resolution to fail.” Normally, I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. They are a waste of time for me. However, this year, against my will I made two New Year’s resolutions. Therefore, my first New Year’s resolution to fail is the resolution NOT to make any resolutions. And, to add insult to injury, I am still actively engaged in both resolutions that I made after resolving not to make any.

            It all started on December 31 at yoga practice. The leader gave each participant a composition book and ink pen. Between yoga poses, she gave us short writing prompts, one of which was to make some New Year’s resolutions. I was disgruntled. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but here I was relaxed and meditating, and before I knew it, not one but two resolutions flowed from my heart to my brain to the synapses that make my fingers write and onto the page through the ink pen! So now I am stuck, happily following two resolutions because I failed to keep the resolution that I usually make.

            The first resolution I made was to have more fun in 2020. Twenty nineteen was hectic and stressful and I lost sight of how to remain gruntled under pressure. One way I have become re-gruntled is through writing.

            My second resolution was to re-learn to play the violin. When I was in sixth grade—roughly fifty years ago—the school district started a program in which a traveling music teacher taught strings in the elementary schools. Soon, I was identified as a talented violinist. My parents bought me a violin. I joined a city-wide orchestra. My two siblings tolerated me being shuttled to violin-related activities.

            My violin career came to a somewhat screeching halt when I moved on to seventh grade. Since the string program was only taught in elementary school, my parents and the junior high school administration rearranged my schedule so I could take violin lessons with the band teacher. The band teacher made me feel very uneasy, so I started breaking my violin strings and finding ways not to go to my lessons with him. The adults queried me as to my somewhat sudden lack of interest in playing the violin. Sadly, I did not have the words to tell them that the band teacher was a creep.

            Over the decades, I have wondered what might have happened had I continued in my violin lessons. Would I have become first violinist for the New York Philharmonic Orchestra? Or maybe Charlie Daniels or Natalie MacMaster would be touring with me. Occasionally when I hear violin music, I wish I had been able to move forward as a budding violinist.

            About a year and a half ago, I took up the ukulele. It’s a far cry from the violin, but it is a stringed instrument. I mentioned to a musician friend my aborted career as a violinist. She encouraged me to pick up the violin again. It sounded like a good idea, but I did not have a violin or know a teacher. The logistics were more daunting than I cared to deal with. I had a ready-made excuse. Until . . .

            . . . my brother-in-law, who has a collection of stringed instruments, gave me one of his spare violins. Now, I only had half an excuse. (I still needed a teacher.) So I made the New Year’s resolution to re-learn the violin. My musician friend referred me to her violin teacher, so I no longer had any excuse at all not to take up the violin again.

            I had my second violin lesson yesterday, January 20, 2020. The second lesson went well enough that I bought a new bow, which I needed. (Violin bows are not cheap.) I am practicing my way from scales to real songs. Soon, I hope to be good enough so that my husband does not yell, “Shut the door!” when I practice. (In all fairness, he has been very supportive of my endeavor.)

            All of this goes to show that it is NEVER TOO LATE! As an added bonus, the prospect of playing the violin again gruntles me, fulfilling the other of my New Year’s resolutions.

NOTE: When I started “Be-Lied” in 2014, I hoped that readers would add their own stories to my stories on the blog. Over the years, no one has added any stories. I would love to hear some “It’s never too late” stories from you.