Dear Judy

No, I'm not talking about Judge Judy. Rather, I'm referring to my very first violin teacher. I may have given reference to her before {in fact, I'm quite sure of it but I lack the motivation to search for the particular post}, but I've noticed that I've been thinking a lot about her again lately.

Not entirely sure why.

But I pinky swear that I'm not a stalker.

Just to clear that up.

Moving on.

It could just be something hardwired into my personality, but for some reason, I latched on to her example like a baby sloth in a strong wind. I watched her every move; and not just in regards to learning to playing the violin. I remember how I felt when I was around her; I remember the neatly kept room where she held her lessons. . . I even remember how the room smelled. I remember how she looked while pregnant with her first child; I remember how kind she always was. I remember my recitals and how scared I was beforehand, but how she always made me feel like I did a great job no matter how horribly I messed up.

My point here is this: I seriously doubt she thought that the slightly odd youngster with the unibrow would ever write a blog post about her 15 years down the road. She also probably never imagined that she would plant the seed that would blossom into a defining characteristic of my life. To her, it's possible that I was "just another student". I'm not saying that to slander her in any way, I'm merely trying to point out that adults think much differently than children.

To me, a large part of my life centered around my weekly lesson. I didn't have a job to distract me or a house to keep up. I didn't have little ones clammoring for my attention. I didn't have any of the things that keep us adults occupied. Judy had a million things to do each and every day; me, not so much.

When I decided to become a private violin teacher, it's because I hoped to be as influencial in some child's life as Judy was in mine.

Have I been?

I may never know.

But one thing is certain-- it's terribly easy to forget that these kids I interact with could very possibly remember me 15 years down the road. It's kinda weird to think about sometimes. Kinda blows my mind, if you know what I mean. I'm not saying that to toot my horn or say that I'm worth remembering in any way. . . but one never really knows what they'll remember down the road.

So, dear Judy, thank you.

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to teach me and share your talent. I now know from experience that it's not always easy and convenient. Thank you for teaching me as though I was going to play the violin for the rest of my life. You didn't cut corners, and I've reaped the benefits. Thank you for instilling in me a reverence and respect for the power of music.

My life is different because of you. You had a hand in shaping my future, and I thank you.

. . . .

Who has been an influence in your life {besides your immediate family members}? Did you think they'd be so influencial at the time? Probably not. Interesting stuff to think about, my friends.

Thanks for reading and being so patient with my sporadic posting! I'll get some Must or Busts in the works just as soon as my laptop is revived from the dead.

Have a fabulous evening! :)