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a new experience ~

Yesterday and today was a new experience for me. One time in my life and decided to be spontaneous about something. I decided to go rock climbing without even thinking about it. My friend asked me on a Friday evening and I said yes without even thinking.

The end result was 2 crazy days of physical exertion. I now find myself with muscular aches that remind me of my 5-day week squash training when I was still playing squash seriously. Just to show you the gravity of the situation, my fingers can barely work this keyboard, click on the touch pad, the muscles of my backside hurt, my knees are still burning and my thighs are sore.

But if there was one thing I learnt today it would be never to underestimate a pile of rocks! I went to the rock climbing venue beaming with confidence knowing I could finish the rock climbing course. I knew I had to finish the course since I had bet with my friend. Lunch was on the line!

After all the huffing and puffing, I couldn't complete the course and hence, officially lost the bet. I now owe my friend lunch. I sure lost the bet but I sure feel happy. Happy because I feel refreshed.

I've got cuts and bruises all over but I feel good. Pain tells me that I am alive.

About underestimating a pile of rocks, I think that applies to people as well. All too often we sometimes underestimate the people around us. I am guilty of that in many ways. There was this time when I once had a cello student who was to a very large extent tone deaf and within the sixth cello lesson I straight away drew a conclusion in my mind that she was never going to be able to learn the cello.

But she never gave up hope that someday she could play the cello. She continued to practise and I was somewhat losing hope in her ability to pick up the cello. One month down the road, she was suddenly able to pick up notes albeit inaccurately. But most importantly, I could tell that she was no longer tone deaf. Even if she couldn't sing out the notes correctly, she could pick up what notes they were by listening intently. I was very happy for her and at the same time ashamed of myself. Ashamed of myself for underestimating her. I asked her how she managed to do it and she told me she spent a lot of hours listening to music and reading the music score along as she listened so she could pick out the notes.

All this while, music was already within her and she simply needed someone to help her bring it out. That was supposed to be my task until I decided to close her out when I underestimated her and drew a conclusion to say that she was not going to be able to learn the cello.

Sometimes something as rigid as a rock can be something special just like how I underestimated rock climbing. Views can differ from one person to another. Never underestimate anything or anyone because there just could be something hidden that you may miss out. Just like how I nearly closed myself to my student and nearly killed her interest for the cello, she showed me I shouldn't discount her and that even she could do the cello as long as she put in more effort into it.......
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