Things I've Learned This Year

As I come to the end of another school year, I'm reflecting back on what I've learned. This has been a particularly interesting year, the first with my quartet, in a new state, with new responsibilities. So here are some pearls of wisdom I've come to know...

1. When life feels out of control, paint your toenails. Things seem just a little bit better when your toes are pretty.

2. Don't eat at restaurants which have what they serve in the title. To be honest, I've known this for a long time, but desperation really drove it home on a recent trip.

3. If you can't say anything nice, leave the room. It's okay to take breaks. Especially if there's a threat of physical violence or emotional abuse hanging in the air.

4. The viola rocks. This is obvious, but I thought I'd stick it in here.

5. If you run into someone you haven't seen for a decade, don't assume they're the same person they were 10 years ago. Let people grow up.

6. Accidents are just that. They're not the end of the world.

7. Road trips are not complete without 80's on 8 and 90's on 9. I love me some XM Radio.

8. If you live in the mountains, you may have to shovel a foot of snow off your car in May. Deal with it.

9. Kids have no concept of age. One kid guessed I was 80. One guessed I was 40. Guess which one freaked me out more.

10. My 20+ years of musical training mean nothing to the general population. For them, it's most exciting when I play Coldplay or do sound effects on my viola. This is okay. You never know who is going to take this and run with it. These things won two little boys over to my side recently. They now want to play the viola. It also makes people think I'm cool. Really, I guess this means fake it till you make it.

Cheers! To life lessons!