A Musician's Miscellaneous Musings

OK... Now I've Said It!!

How I'd like to feel about August

This is how I feel about August!

I know that this is the month of vacations for many people... the final fling for families before school starts.  There are many things I love about this month.  Right now we are experiencing beautiful, almost fall-like weather... a pleasant change after a spell of almost unbearable heat... and unprecedented flooding in our area in late June.    But summertime, especially August, seems to be the worst time for scheduling music lessons and other business appointments.  Not only do people go on vacations physically... but their minds, and even worse, their manners, go on vacation with them. 

Now I can understand the vacation thing, and I schedule my summer appointments around others' vacations (and mine too if I have one).  And I can also understand the fact that things come up and plans change.  What bothers me is when folks have appointments and never bother to call either to change or cancel the appointment.  Even worse is when they do not respond to one's repeated calls to find out what their future plans are -- especially when it comes to indicating their intentions to schedule future appointments... the least they can do is to let me know they are dropping out!!  Some people just do not bother to ever cancel times that have been reserved for them.  Last week was an especially good example of this behaviour... though some persons were fine.  Here's the picture:  Out of 13 appointments (for a total of 8 hours) 5 people showed up (for a total of 3 1/2 hours)... of the remaining 8 persons: 3 called ahead to cancel &/or reschedule, one of whom will pay for the missed lesson; of the remaining 5, 3 have returned my calls and apologized and rescheduled, and 2 have not returned my calls at all -- of those 2, I expect to eventually contact one.. and the other one is, I'm afraid, a lost cause -- I will no longer call or wait for them to come or call.   That's a terrible percentage of appointments which did not either show up or call ahead... that's 4 out of 13 (or about 31%)!!  It's not usually that bad after school starts...  Of the people I did contact after the fact: 1 was really understandable why she failed to call... many stress factors... and the other one was a case of both parents whose MINDS have gone on vacation... they forgot what day it was...but will make up the absence.  Of the other 2... I have to assume that not only are their MINDS on vacation...but most likely their MANNERS as well. 

In conclusion.. I can hardly wait for school to start... when not only do people return from their travels... but but their MINDS and MANNERS usually return with them.. or I certainly hope so...!!

Did you "make someone's day" today?  I did... and didn't even realize it.  It was such a simple thing.... engaging in caring conversation with a person I had only met briefly on the phone.  When I had completed tuning the woman's piano and wrapping up the business end of our transaction, she said;  "You are a wonderful lady!"  She then explained that she had thoroughly enjoyed our few hours together engaged off and on in relaxed conversation, and that she so seldom gets to enjoy that sort of thing any more.  Who knew?  I didn't.  But I was just myself... listening, caring, and engaging the other person in true communication... 

And... she "made my day" when she expressed her appreciation of me... I could hardly believe my ears when she first called me a "wonderful lady"... to my knowledge, no one has ever said that of me...  at least not in person... and what prompted her response was so simple... anyone CAN do what I did...we just have to be alert and engaged fully with those we share our day with... strangers, acquaintances, friends, family, customers, students, business people, etc....  We can genuinely smile, listen, share our company through attitude and conversation, truly honoring and respecting the other person... and we can "make their day".... and know that the world is a little better place because we cared... I hope you'll "make someone's day" today....   :-)

Welcome Committee

Welcome Kitties

I travelled across the border to Pennsylvania yesterday to tune a piano and experienced a wonderful surprise as I walked into a house that had a kitty, no... several kitties, no...  7 or 8 kitties... NO... a total of 14 wonderful, individual kitties living there (and 2 doggies I didn't get to meet)... I've never had such a marvelous cat audience for tuning a piano ever!  They were great!  One deaf white kitty (Zack) watched my every move for the entire time I was there... I swear he knows how to tune a piano now!  Another slept on my jacket the whole time (the other deaf kitty... Fat Boy)... plus I met 12 other wonderful kitties... and their mommy and daddy were great too... I ended staying and visiting probably for an hour and a half more than I would have ordinarily stayed beyond the time it took to tune the piano.  One kitty (Baby) had come from Beckley, WV, where I and my parents lived for 25 years!  Small world!  And these cats were all well-behaved, different personalities, obviously well cared for... and it is such a delight to find people with such big hearts!! We need lots more of people like this in the world!!  I exclaimed "Cat Heaven" only a minute after entering their home!!  I just had to share this... it just "made my day"!!  :-)