Strumming away

My fingers are numb!!!!  I picked up Eoin's guitar today to try to practice with him. He has not complained about his fingers hurting since beginning his lessons over a month ago.  I am amazed because after 10 minutes mine were screaming at me!  I am sure it gets easier with practice but don't see how fingers can move from one chord to another so quickly.  It is a skill I value. I took piano lessons when I was younger, not getting far and played flute in highschool but again did not play extremely well.  Guitar seemed an unattainable option.  I am pretty sure my sister Lorna had one when she was younger but I don't remember her playing much.  That is the struggle with learning music, the practicing part.   I have learned enough in the past couple of years that I am not going to push Eoin into practicing; encourage him a little maybe but not push.  If he even thinks I am "making" him do something he brings up how terrible an experience it was when I made him go to hockey last year and he was only in that for a month and half at most.  

I know that he will get better much more quickly if he were to practice but right now he is just enjoying hanging out with his instructor and learning at his own pace.   If I enforced practicing the joy of playing would go out the window along with his interest in it. That is not to say that I am not tempted to push the practicing part a bit more. It is hard not let in the voices of all the people I have heard talk about how they were so grateful their parents made them stick to music lessons.  I can see more value though in his lessons than just becoming a guitar player. Eoin is getting a lot from the experience of being mentored by a young man.  His instructor is only about 20 and plays in a band so I am sure, to Eoin, seems pretty cool. It has been too much fun just bringing Eoin each week to watch him take this new challenge on.  Eoin does not outwardly seem to make too much in life seriously, but he does take pride in carrying his own guitar in each week and sending me off to wait for him.   There is no way that he lets me even try to get the guitar out of the car.    The change in him is obvious from the moment we get in the car to head off to his lesson.  He becomes a serious young man and wants to be treated as such. 

 I hope that he continues his interest.  The sound of a guitar can be so beautiful.  I already am attracted to just the simple chords Eoin is learning.  Maybe I can pick up a little along the way....if I can ever feel the tips of my fingers again.