Improvisation

Anecdote accompanied by a cool beer and guitar improvisation. A pause in a favourite Italian bar. A precious moment. The sublime illusion of escaping from a mad world.

Yet for at least five years the guitar stayed in its case. It's owner could no longer hear well enough to tune it. Even with a digital tuner there were tones he could no longer hear. To him even the best music sounded depressing, cacaphonic.

But miracles sometimes happen, his hearing in the only 'valid' ear still in 50% function mode improved enough for him to hear quite clearly with a good aid. (Beforehand a hearing-aid only amplified the distorted sound conveyed by the faulty inner ear, making it even worse).

So he tuned his guitar and started playing again. It sounded alright, so much so that he bought another guitar, two in fact. In spite of old playing habits that die hard, he started to learn finger picking, to improvise blues with thumb base rhythm, and it sounds like he's doing alright.
He let his right hand finger nails grow, and shortened his left hand finger nails. The corns came back on his left hand finger tips. He practices every day. It's a real victory.

There is no time limit for victories. They are not subject to age, as long as one is in reasonably good health. It's also true that each time one shares life with a woman one loves, it's another life, another wonderful gift.
Perhaps I mentioned this before. Going back fifteen years now. A magic evening in a restaurant above Menton. He played the guitar then too. for some reason he was full of confidence. It was then when he met her. They danced together. It all clicked.

Maybe he wasn't immediately aware, but after having had to rely on a hearing-aid most of his life, he no longer needed it with her. This miracle lasted two years before the inevitable audio chute. Nevertheless there is no doubt that it was a miracle, like playing the guitar again. It makes one smile, and feel good.

*

Text Mirino. Image Curto. August, 2017