Mommy’s Piggy Tales – 5th Grade

I’m participating in a project called Mommy’s Piggy Tales where I’ll be writing stories about my childhood once a week for 15 weeks, starting with birth and ending with graduation in the hopes that my children, and possibly my children’s children, will one day appreciate it.

**************************

Like many kids, even now, 5th grade meant I was finally old enough to join band!   I don’t think there was every much question of what I would play: I was a girl – I wanted to play the flute!

Now I cringe at such a stereotypical choice, but it actually turned out to be a good one for me.  I will never forget (nor will my mom, I’m sure) the day we went to the music store to get my first flute.  It was a rental flute, but I didn’t care, it was mine!  We also bought a “learning to play the flute” book and I couldn’t wait to tear into it.

And, in fact, I didn’t wait.  When we were ready to go home, I climbed into the back of my mom’s red 1982 Mazda RX-7, pulled out the mouth piece, and started practicing my embouchure.  I blew and blew until I figured out just how to hold my lips to make a really nice (and shrill) sound.  Then, I put together the rest of the flute and proceeded to  learn “Mary Had a Little Lamb”.  By the time we’d driven the 40 minutes home, I had learned several songs and I was on my way.

I still can’t believe that my mom actually allowed this to happen.  I can’t stand shrill noises when I’m outside.  How did she ever stand to listen to a beginner flutist practice from the back of this (only in fire engine red):

She’s definitely a better man than I.

However she managed it, I like to think she was rewarded in the end because I took to the flute like a natural and had a fair bit of success and enjoyment with it.  In fact, I even won my band’s Musician of the Year award that year.

So, just in case she hasn’t heard it enough: Thanks, Mom!

And now…I think I’ll go play my flute.