Chord progression

Is there a better feeling than falling back in love with an old hobby? Turning the Playstation back on and firing up one of your old favourite games; Blowing the dust off the guitar and strumming the rusty strings; Leafing through the pages of a book you started, loved but didn’t finish because the phone in your other hand buzzed; Picking up a pen and jotting your thoughts down on a page, any page you can find. These are just some of the things I’ve done recently. Looking at my phone has surpassed an occasional thing and is now a part of my daily life. It is a part of all of our lives, illuminating our faces in the dead of night as we just want one more scroll through social media. The phone isn’t all bad of course but that’s for another post.

My morale and happiness has increased since I started picking up things that weren’t my phone. I’ve started reading a bit more in the last month. Once I manage to stick to one book at a time and not switch between two or three I will be even happier!
We started walking more in the evenings, getting outside and watching the ducks, swans and cygnets pass us by on the canal. I bought a football the other evening and we went to the local park to kick it around. Something about kicking the ball around on a summer evening with the perpetual smell of cut grass that only a park can give was invigorating. The dew on the grass as night fell brought me back to childhood and the way we used to stay outside until our parents had to call us in…or threaten us.
Writing more fiction has brought me intermittent peace. Once I find a steady rhythm and build up the courage to submit some of my work to competitions I will have found another rung on my ladder.
Playing guitar again, much more consistently, has made me happier than any of the other things. Singing as loudly as possible as I learn new chords and slowly get better at transitioning through them has been similar to my life over the last number of years. I have to give myself credit for being able to adapt and improvise in different situations…and for persevering.

It is harder to pick up an old hobby than start a new one. We could begin something new each week before leaving it rust in the corner like old guitar strings. There is something magical in retaining an old experience and feeling that same old feeling of happiness coursing through our veins. Not all old pastimes will bring us joy. Some we gave up for a reason. But maybe if you pick up that guitar and strum the first few chords of a song we began long ago it will awaken a new melody.