I am actually progressing in my years long struggle to play the guitar. In previous years, I've picked it up, but not sincerely, and I haven't put a wholehearted effort into it. But, without getting too much into the personal side of me, I recently decided that the guitar playing is a metaphor for some other things in my otherwise charmed life, that it is representative of "unfinished business", and that I should work to a level of competence, even if mastery is not within my grasp.

I had reason to be proud yesterday.

I was playing the rhythm to "Roll on, Columbia" (by Woody Guthrie), and have been learning the song, according to the book I have. I wasn't comfortable with the chorus, however, as it just didn't sound right. I tried playing slowly to see if something was wrong with my technique, but nothing was. I concluded that the sheet music I had missed a chord change in the chorus.

Last night, I was discussing this with a friend. I pulled out his guitar, and was playing the song. As I got into the chorus, I showed him where I thought the change was. My music didn't show it.

So, we went into his sheet music and eventually found a different copy of the song. Sure enough, big as day, was the change from D7 back to G in the chorus, a change that was missed on my copy. I promptly made the correction in my book and went on playing. But the fact I had noticed the change was missing showed me I'm not completely hopeless!