Small Beginnings

Nearly 20 years ago we bought this ukulele on our last day in Maui. We didn’t have room in our luggage for it, so we had it mailed home. It arrived several days later in a simple cardboard box with no other packing. To our relief and surprise, it was in perfect condition inspite of its minimal protection. I soon bought a video and a book on how to play, tried to learn a couple of chords, and then quickly gave up. I couldn’t even play “She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain.” The ukulele ended up back in its box and carefully stored on top of a closet shelf, out of sight but always in the back of my of mind.

Nearly eight years later, in 2012, we went on a cruise in French Polynesia where we heard the Tahitian ukuleles and received some encouragement from the musicians on the boat. On return home, I bought the “Daily Ukulele” song book with simple chords diagramed over the music and tried again. The ukulele had patiently waited in its box on the top shelf all that time, and with a little more effort, I finally figured out how to play some of the simple songs. There was no looking back; I have probably not gone 50 days in the past 11 years without playing a ukulele and have progressed far beyond what I had thought possible.

Of course, I have larger, better ukuleles now, but I still like to look at the ukulele in the picture as a reminder of where I started from eleven years ago at the age of 61. It was a totally new experience for me. Wow, I guess you CAN teach an old doc new tricks!

#ukulele #maui #tahitianukulele #frenchpolynesia