All I tend to do nowadays is tinker on the guitar or uke. It’s nice to have projects, to be able to experiment and explore and scream. Music is such a wonderful medium.
And the small rituals1 — moisturizing callouses before bed, filing nails, tuning, cleaning, adjusting the action — always bring a comforting familiarity when everything is perfect. Not to mention that wonderfully juicy feeling when hitting certain chords just right.
Ever since I left my Tai Chi studio, I’ve been looking for a hobby to throw myself into. Something just as complex and slow to master. It’s nice to feel like I’m improving myself somehow, and the best part is I don’t need a partner or a subject or anyone else.
- Ironic, me being a Taoist. [↩]