Year of the Horse

It is not lost on me, since coming back from Prague with two beautiful new guitars, just how fortunate we are to have taken such a trip for such purpose. If you had told me when we moved to Sicily four years ago—after having parted with two such lovely six-stringed instruments, the final reckoning of any notion I had that I would ever be good at playing them—that one day we'd board a plane having purchased two extra seats (window, of course, per airline rules) for the two we'd just bought in a small rural town in the Czech Republic, I would've not only laughed at the absurdity but also suffered a brief existential crisis over the implied extravagance of my character. Who do you think I am? Lindsey Buckingham?

Time—and oven mitts, apparently—changes everything. What seemed impossible then, feels probable now and who knows, with just enough centering on oneself and an unseasoned outlook might be all it takes to forge a fresh path forward. Or, in the words of the great Maya Angelu: "In a world full of spice, let the salt be the guide to balance."

None of us need reminding of the tempestuous, breakneck speed with which time moves us closer and closer to The One Inescapable Ending, routinely calling into question every item on our wish list, as it did with me and guitars (there's no time). But with the right mindset on equity—meaning anything more than zero—it can guide us into the dreamscape of what could still be, as it did...with me and guitars (we have nothing but time). Perspective means everything.

Turning 60 may have a lot to do with the angle with which I now think of the ditching of old conclusions and drawing of new ones. Studies have shown that our bodies undergo massive biomolecular shifts at that age—the other is 44—and corresponds with a bunch of other evidence that the risks associated with getting older don't rise gradually with time but escalate sharply after reaching these ages. Which could lead to feelings of surrender. Or feelings of giddy-up.

This being the year of the horse, I prefer the latter. Confident. Straightforward. Responsible. Self-motivated. 

Shed your clothes, toot your own horn, and always remember:

Time moves slowly but passes quickly.” - Alice Walker, The Color Purple

Good luck with your own pursuits this year! And if you‘re up for a little sharing, follow and/or tag us on Instagram or Facebook where we sometimes share our progress on learning real guitar!

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