Well, my violin is back home. It returned on December 28, 2007 and while I did at first find myself frustrated with the reality of having to drive to the Federal Express dispatch station to retrieve it I immediately turned my thoughts to those of gratitude: being grateful to a friend for letting me use his car to take the driver's test in 2004 and grateful for the fact that I had, on the day in question, TWO cars at my disposal. Grateful for the violin having survived Katrina with me and for all of those who performed the diagnostic exams on the instrument between June 2006 and April 2007. Of course, a huge debt of gratitude is owed to Marilyn Wallin, the violinmaker, who said "I want to do what needs to be done for the next ten years of this instrument's journey."
It's been a week - only a week? This feels like a different instrument - or have I actually improved, let alone maintained? It's so much easier to play, and it responds instantly to EVERYTHING that I do - which makes me pay attention even more...
The FedEx journey included a second trip, that being putting the fiddle into its new case - at the distribution center. With all of this newness there have been times during the past week that I have only been able to LOOK at this setup, as it's all beautiful.
It's strange how a change can make us feel "better" in some ways - even though the change may be a necessary one, from having needed repairs done to something as simple as buying new shoes. Granted, I don't compare this to going to the Discount Shoe Warehouse - but I'm reminded of 1994, when I watched the fashion reporters interview Herve Leger, a designer who had caused quite a stir with collections of "curve contouring bandage dresses", and the models who had walked in his couture shows. When asked how they felt wearing Leger, they all commented "In all ways like a woman."
How does this relate? With the new case and the violin in very good shape, I feel - in all ways - with a grin of course - like a real fiddler....
No comments:
Post a Comment