It’s the middle of summer and there are two things I currently don’t have: school and a job (I’m on 3 months leave). Actually make that three cuz no job means no money right? Hehe! Anyways, since I have ample of free time, I thought I’d do something constructive and make my indifferent self useful.

So what way can I make this "time off" beneficial to myself but to learn how to play the guitar. I was somewhat fascinated long ago and have been wanting to learn ever since my sister learned how to play the guitar from my brother. Whether it’d be the guitar or drums Matt and May are amazingly talented when it comes to playing instruments and I admire their gifts and passion for music.

Sometimes I’d crash & join in when I hear the reverberating sound from their jam sessions. But I just feel like I have no choice but to play one instrument… the magic wand they call the microphone. That’s always the case when you can’t play any instrument. So every time I find myself jamming with ‘em, I’m stuck with the damn mic that echoes my unpleasantly jarring voice.

It just feels different when you are "instrumentless." Psychologically, you consider yourself part the group but there’s a sense of feeling left out because you’re the only one NOT playing an instrument. Well, that’s how I felt. Especially in the Philippines cuz my cousins (Ekal, Achik, Pipoy) are blessed with such talents. I wish I could do more than just grip the mic and scream, errr I mean sing my heart out.

I feel like a flag-bearing soldier back in the day when they march into war, naked and helplessly vulnerable, because his weapon of choice is a flagpole with a piece of cloth waving in the air. Get me? He’s an eyecandy to the enemy, an armless human target… basically a sitting duck! Sucks to be that guy! Gimme a musket or an M16 rifle! I want more than a mic and a discordant voice to wave into the air. Get what I’m saying?

So, cutting off this figure of speech, I decided to hop the bandwagon and arm myself with a guitar. A week had elapsed and I think I made a progress under Matt’s lessons and guidance (thanks bro!). I’m lesser naive now about playing the guitar than how I was last week. I’m no prodigy, but after a series of calluses and set of stiff fingers, I can play the basic chords and also play two of my favorite songs: Narda and Crazy For You. Can’t wait to learn more!