I played a church service again yesterday with the new cast, and it did not go well, from my perspective, because my right hand was even more restricted than the previous week. Because the cast was so much more restrictive, I tried to play a little before the service without the cast. I was able to move my four fingers more freely, but I was unable to keep my thumb still, and that was painful. The congregation, and even my fellow musicians, didn't seem to notice that my ability to play a legato melody in my right hand was just not happening. When playing hymns, I like to articulate the melody as if my right hand is a singer, breaking the legato line at a point where a singer would breathe. It is a subtle, but effective way to lead a congregation from the keyboard. Of course, I was also singing, which probably covered up my choppy right hand playing. Also, I had a cello and flute covering the melody. I probably didn't even need to play the melody, except it gave me some vocal security. They do appreciate the singing.
When I returned home, I had decided to forego a trip to Seattle for a book signing with the minimalists, because of my financial status. It would have cost me well over $100 in gas to make the trip. So, I would be staying in Hebo for the remainder of the week. Only traveling to Tillamook for a rehearsal on Tuesday, Portland for a client meeting on Wednesday, Lincoln City for a rehearsal on Thursday, then a gig in Tillamook on Saturday. Now that I write this, it appears that I have a busy week, but I will have little to do until Tuesday evening.
A counselor with whom I worked years ago used to ask me to find the gift in any negative or challenging situation. Sometimes it's very difficult to get there when one is in the middle of an adverse experience, but it has helped me greatly in the past. So, I began to ask myself that question regarding my injury. The obvious answer is that I've been given an opportunity to slow down even further than my move to the Oregon Coast had necessitated. Of course, I prefer to have more control over my circumstances than this, so maybe I'm being hit with the reality that I just don't have that much control. That is a difficult pill for me to swallow. In thinking about what I can do, watching videos on my computer has been on the top of my list, though it is little more than entertainment. However, I was looking up some info on k.d. lang, curious about how old she is (I had just had a dream that we were doing some musical collaboration) and it led me to her site, and her promotion of an app for mindfulness, through Stop, Breathe and Think. Perfect, except that it is not available for Android. I did download another mediation app, and began to use it. Maybe what I am being called to do is to slow down internally (my thinking) as well as externally (my schedule). In that case, the benefits could be unexpectedly wonderful.
When I returned home, I had decided to forego a trip to Seattle for a book signing with the minimalists, because of my financial status. It would have cost me well over $100 in gas to make the trip. So, I would be staying in Hebo for the remainder of the week. Only traveling to Tillamook for a rehearsal on Tuesday, Portland for a client meeting on Wednesday, Lincoln City for a rehearsal on Thursday, then a gig in Tillamook on Saturday. Now that I write this, it appears that I have a busy week, but I will have little to do until Tuesday evening.
A counselor with whom I worked years ago used to ask me to find the gift in any negative or challenging situation. Sometimes it's very difficult to get there when one is in the middle of an adverse experience, but it has helped me greatly in the past. So, I began to ask myself that question regarding my injury. The obvious answer is that I've been given an opportunity to slow down even further than my move to the Oregon Coast had necessitated. Of course, I prefer to have more control over my circumstances than this, so maybe I'm being hit with the reality that I just don't have that much control. That is a difficult pill for me to swallow. In thinking about what I can do, watching videos on my computer has been on the top of my list, though it is little more than entertainment. However, I was looking up some info on k.d. lang, curious about how old she is (I had just had a dream that we were doing some musical collaboration) and it led me to her site, and her promotion of an app for mindfulness, through Stop, Breathe and Think. Perfect, except that it is not available for Android. I did download another mediation app, and began to use it. Maybe what I am being called to do is to slow down internally (my thinking) as well as externally (my schedule). In that case, the benefits could be unexpectedly wonderful.