Practice Makes Possible

Concerning my ability to play the piano, I typically say that I can't read sheet music and that I can only play one note at a time. That is becoming inaccurate. While I still can't read sheet music, I can decipher it. I can tell how many lines one note is above or below another one, and I know that if a note has a sharp or flat symbol next to it, it means to hit a black key rather than a white one. I can even figure out which key a piece is meant to be played in by looking at the sharp and/or flat symbols at the beginning of the piece and determining by ear which scale sounds right using those sharps or flats. I'm sure that at least one or two pianists just cringed at my methods, and I'll probably take a piano class to learn how you're actually supposed to figure out which notes you're supposed to hit, but my point is that even using my limited knowledge and skill, I'm able to figure things out if I try hard enough.

As for hitting multiple notes, that;s still a challenge for me, but I've been practicing playing two notes at a time instead of only one. Baby steps. I'm still only playing the Alto and Soprano parts of the songs, and I know I'm using the wrong hand to play them (I'm a lefty, so using my left hand is easier for me, so long as I only need one), but it still sounds better than one note did on its own (assuming I'm hitting the right ones. I still make plenty of mistakes while learning and practicing songs).

I suppose what I'm getting at is that I'm not as limited as I thought I was. People with disabilities or simply just a lack of ability sometimes see themselves as being more limited than they actually are. While it's true that I don't have the ability of many of my family members, it's not like I can't find or play the right notes. I can - it just takes me longer than it takes some people and I make more mistakes than they do. Even people with physical limitations may be less limited than they realize. Nick Vujicic, a man who has no arms or legs, has managed to learn how to swim. If he can do that, I can do anything. In fact, that's one of the ideas he hopes people take away from his motivational speeches, so good job, Nick.

Sometimes, there are things that we literally, physically cannot do. I can't fly. Nick can't do jumping jacks. And my dad can't feel anything with his right foot, because it's made out of metal and plastic. But there's still lots of stuff that we can do, and somewhere in the middle, there are things that we think we can't do, but may be surprised to learn that we can. So, if you think you can't do something, you might try to do it anyway. You may fail at first, as expected, but with time to study and practice, you might surprise yourself. You may have, or be able to gain, more skills and abilities than you think you have now.