On a Cloud

Whenever I see a piano, it brings back so many memories.

It reminds me of my father playing and singing one of his favorite Beatles songs.

It makes me look back on my grandmother, who had a piano in her house.

It makes me recall when my older cousin taught me how to play one of his favorite songs.

It brings back memories of piano lessons and recitals I had as a child.

Seeing a piano reminds me of my childhood best friend. She was the person who inspired me to take lessons the first time I heard her play The Entertainer for her recital.

The sight of a piano also reminds me of a good friend from high school. She was so good that she could play whatever song she wanted after she heard it a few times. She was amazing. I loved singing along to the songs she played back then. We wanted to start a band with a few friends, but it never happened. We had too much fun playing together for an hour a day in school and forgot about the idea.

It also brings back memories of a past heartache, but that's another story altogether.

Most important of all the things I am reminded of when seeing a piano is my love for music. Seeing a piano reminds me of how music has always been a part of my life.

It would not be a stretch to say that I haven’t touched a piano in at least a decade. I don’t even remember how to play. They say it’s like riding a bike, it’s muscle memory. I can get back into it if I want to. I’m not too sure about that. I was never that good with it, to begin with. I do miss it though.

I was never good at playing the piano. I had to practice extra hard to reach mediocre levels. But that doesn’t change the fact that it was something I enjoyed doing. I loved how touching the keys could result in beautiful music. It amazes me how magical that feels. The way I play may not be as special, but I love hearing the piano when other people play. It’s not only the piano, to be honest. Music in general is such a soothing and enjoyable experience for me.

I cannot imagine a world without music. Music is the soundtrack of our lives. It helps you to recall significant memories. Songs help to lift your mood when you are down. They help to let go of pent-up emotions when you’re stressed. They give you comfort while dealing with your sorrows.

Is there ever a person who does not like living with music? I don’t think I will ever understand a person who would prefer not to have music in their lives. How do they go about their days without it? Are their lives sad or boring without music? Or would it be something they would not know or understand because they had never lived with it in the first place?

It would be hard to imagine not having music to hype me up or boost my mood and energy to start my day. I cannot imagine not having music to help me unwind and soothe me to sleep at night. As someone who loves to sing to de-stress, I don’t think I would want to be without music. It would drive me crazy to be without it.

As a writer, music inspires me to create the stories I write. It helps me build the worlds and the people I give birth to on paper (or in digital form). I could not put as much emotion and depth into the worlds I write about without music pushing me to create them.

It would be nice to try to play the piano again. There might be a need to relearn everything all over again, but it would be great to play at least one full song one day. That would be an achievement!

Music is such a beautiful part of life that I hope more people can appreciate and enjoy it. I am grateful that we have music in our world. I hope music is something I can enjoy for the rest of my life.