Thump in the Daytime to Music

Yesterday Lorri and I got ready to go to our first performance as organists.
Just as we were rushing to leave the phone rang. Lorri took the call while I finished dressing. Her expression was altogether changed as she hung up. “It’s Michelle,” she said. “She passed out at the doctor’s office and we have to go get her.” It sounded urgent and I was not dressed, so I told her to go ahead and I would be ready to go when she got back. “And leave her car and the clinic?” she asked. That at least made it seem that Michelle was probably OK and we would be going on to the recital. “Oh yes,” I said; “I’ll finish getting ready and meet you in the car.”

We rushed and were out of the house with all our accoutrements in 90 seconds. Lorri drove, which was good as she drove a lot faster than I would have. On the way I pried her for more details but very little was forthcoming.

At the clinic Michelle was in the waiting room and jumped up when she saw us. When she was cleared to go she gave me her keys and I got in her car and followed her and Lorri home. At home we made a quick turn-a-round and were off to the recital. Lorri explained to me on the way what had happened: dizzy after the procedure on her toenail they had her lie down for a while. When she seemed better they sent her to the waiting room. There she fainted and awoke with a bunch of people standing around her, including the doctor. They did not want her to drive home so she called us, her parents. The doctor told her to drink lots of fluids and if it happened again to come back for a full workup. Lorri had Michelle call the rheumatologist. She thinks it is one of her medications that has been associated with fainting before.

Be best part of the music experience for me was that I practiced and practiced so that I wouldn’t mess it up too bad. A couple of times I got all of the notes right and the beat right all of the way through. That produced a really good feeling. Maybe the feeling was mastery or accomplishment. But I think it was more than that. It was the feeling of being with the music and in tune with it – a feeling of being connected with the music. That is what I will be striving for as I practice future songs. The next step up after that will be to add flourishes to the music to go beyond the basic music and embellish it somewhat. I would guess after that the feeling will be that I “own” the music and am creating my own arrangement.

Today I got my exercycle—hand bicycle. Now I will be able to push myself more to exercise and get beyond the pain in the shoulder. It will be a great relief when I am able to do that.