Janus... and Beginners... and Intermediates

[Pip01]

Greetings to All,


Now standing in yet another... Annual Doorway... and being
accompanied by... The Old Roman God... Janus... who is the
deity... of gates and doorways... passages and transitions...
beginnings... and endings... duality... and Time... I thought to
put up this personal observation here... in case some might
find it... of some assistance... along the path...

As with the internationally acclaimed Japanese film director...
Akira Kurosawa... when he was being interviewed for a major
western magazine... and being praised for... and asked about...
the skills he had acquired along the way... and he was then in
his late 70s... he quickly replied... and along the lines of:

"Oh, no! I am still very new at this!, and still, I have so much to
learn, and far to travel."

And now, and likewise... standing again... in this Doorway...I find
myself in his same position... looking both Before... and Behind...
in that there are... and always... seemingly... many more things...
that I don't know... than that I do... and this is still... and also true...
of The Pipes... and The Music...

Somehow... and perhaps... and by only... a Gracious Providence...
I have stumbled... bumbled... from Beginners... to Intermediates...
but always ... with the help... and the long-suffering patience... of
those who took their Time... (and their Pity)... to reach down and
help me up... and out of the practice holes... into which I had fallen.

For those of you out there... and of what ever... Stripe and Age...
Coming Along... Coming Up... through the ranks... please... and
kindly... be patient... with yourselves... as you would...with some
young friend... who was but trying... to learn to ride... their bicycle...

Setbacks? Yes!! Doldrums? Yes!!... Beset!! Becalmed!!... Feeling
un-able to make any meaningful Progress? Yes!!

And not to mention... the "What the Devil Am I Doing Here?!"
questions that have... Time to Time... beset most of us.

But still and all... if you just... Keep After It... bit by bit... it will
come... bit by bit... until that Time... when these seemingly far-
flung bits... fall and come together... and as they should... :)

Where ever you may find yourselves... in this... our Great
Waltz-About... wishing for you all...

All the Very Best!!

Pip01

[OHpiper]

Two years ago when i started this journey, who would have thought I would be where I'm at now . I joined a pipe band in July and have learned 10 new tunes in this short time and working on more. Certainly being tutored by one of the best helps and I look foreward to our weekly band practices with great anticipation. I still have a lot to learn, as Jon will point out some detail that I'm not getting quite right, lol. I haven't posted on hear for some time but still read some almost every day, Pip01, I appreciate your insight as well as others and have experienced a couple setbacks but something inside tells me to keep pressing on....It's only getting better..
Cheers, Bill

[EquusRacer]

Originally Posted by Pip01

Greetings to All,


Now standing in yet another... Annual Doorway... and being
accompanied by... The Old Roman God... Janus... who is the
deity... of gates and doorways... passages and transitions...
beginnings... and endings... duality... and Time... I thought to
put up this personal observation here... in case some might
find it... of some assistance... along the path...

As with the internationally acclaimed Japanese film director...
Akira Kurosawa... when he was being interviewed for a major
western magazine... and being praised for... and asked about...
the skills he had acquired along the way... and he was then in
his late 70s... he quickly replied... and along the lines of:

"Oh, no! I am still very new at this!, and still, I have so much to
learn, and far to travel."

And now, and likewise... standing again... in this Doorway...I find
myself in his same position... looking both Before... and Behind...
in that there are... and always... seemingly... many more things...
that I don't know... than that I do... and this is still... and also true...
of The Pipes... and The Music...

Somehow... and perhaps... and by only... a Gracious Providence...
I have stumbled... bumbled... from Beginners... to Intermediates...
but always ... with the help... and the long-suffering patience... of
those who took their Time... (and their Pity)... to reach down and
help me up... and out of the practice holes... into which I had fallen.

For those of you out there... and of what ever... Stripe and Age...
Coming Along... Coming Up... through the ranks... please... and
kindly... be patient... with yourselves... as you would...with some
young friend... who was but trying... to learn to ride... their bicycle...

Setbacks? Yes!! Doldrums? Yes!!... Beset!! Becalmed!!... Feeling
un-able to make any meaningful Progress? Yes!!

And not to mention... the "What the Devil Am I Doing Here?!"
questions that have... Time to Time... beset most of us.

But still and all... if you just... Keep After It... bit by bit... it will
come... bit by bit... until that Time... when these seemingly far-
flung bits... fall and come together... and as they should...

Where ever you may find yourselves... in this... our Great
Waltz-About... wishing for you all...

All the Very Best!!

Pip01

Well advised. After all these decades of piping, I get re-energized at the excitement of students and young pipers entering the scene. It reminds me of my own early experiences and excitement...a reminder and/or vicarious experience I believe we all need.