Short Story

Life Lessons

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for RDP Friday: PIANO!
This is my story.

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When I was a kid, my parents decided I should take piano lessons. And just like most kids, I didn’t like practicing the piano; sometimes I would make up ridiculous excuses to get out of going to my lessons. Once, when I was maybe 8 or 9 years old, I knew I was unprepared for my lesson and didn’t want to get into trouble with my teacher for not practicing. I called my piano teacher and told her I couldn’t go to my lesson because it was raining and I had no one to drive me there. She called my bluff by telling me not to worry .… she would come to me! She saw right through my flimsy excuse …. and I thought I was so brilliant coming up with that explanation!

Later in life, I became the Children’s Choir Director at our church and I decided it would be nice to learn how to play the pipe organ. I figured I could play the organ for Sunday services and for weddings or funerals. A friend recommended an organ teacher in Manhattan …. an older gentleman who was a magnificent organist …. and he agreed to take me on as a student.

Every Thursday I would schlep down to Trinity Church in Greenwich Village for my lessons; during the week, I would try to find time to practice at our church, which wasn’t always an easy thing to do. First of all, I could only use the organ if the church was empty; if the Senior Choir Director was practicing the organ or something was going on in the church, I was out of luck. Secondly, I had a full schedule at home with a husband and sons; cooking, cleaning, shopping, etc., and all their activities didn’t come to a halt because I needed to practice the organ. I squeezed in practicing whenever I could but I wasn’t always successful.

One week I went for my lesson as usual and it was obvious I hadn’t practiced much that week. My organ teacher asked me why and I told him I had a lot going on at home and I just didn’t have the time. I will never forget what happened  next. My teacher looked me straight in the eye and very seriously said, “You have all there is.” It took about five seconds for that to sink in but when it did, I was blown away.

The next time you use the excuse “I didn’t have enough time”, remember …. you have all there is. Each of us is allotted a certain amount of time that makes up our lives; 20 years, 60 years, maybe even 100 years …. but that’s it, not a second more, not a second less. We have been given our predetermined amount of time and it’s precious. Don’t waste it because that’s all we’ll ever have. We can‘t borrow time or buy a few years to add to our life. What we were given at birth is all we’ll ever have so use your time wisely.

You have all there is.

NAR©2025


This is “Fly Like An Eagle” by the Steve Miller Band

RDP Friday! Piano!

All text and graphics are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

14 thoughts on “Life Lessons”

  1. I had lessons for 2 years when I was 12. My teacher gave up and talked to my Dad. He told him it wasn’t that I didn’t want to learn, just that he’d twigged why I got him to play my new piece before I tried it.
    I played what I heard, not what was written, and he told my Dad if I was forced to learn, I would probably never play at all which would be a shame as I’d inherited Dad’s gift of being able to play by ear.

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    1. That’s very interesting, Di. I think people who can play by ear, especially kids, feel there’s no need for them to take lessons. Each case is different but I think it’s always good to learn the fundamentals of any instrument. You may never use them but it doesn’t hurt to know something about the instrument you’re playing. I don’t play by ear but I know people who do and I’ve always admired that ability. It’s incredibly cool to sit down at a piano at a party and just start playing.

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      1. My sister had lessons and hated me because sometimes I’d go with her to lessons and was allowed to ‘tinker’ on a piano in another room. I’d hear her new piece and play it, albeit in the wrong key though, while she struggled. My dad felt it only right I should have the same opportunity, even though I’d been playing from a very early age and my sister had shown little interest. My lessons weren’t wasted though as I learned about timing and managed to stop my left hand from racing my right!

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        1. Fascinating! When you say you “played it”, did you play just the melody (right hand) or did you play the accompanying chords with the L hand? Do you think what you played was exactly what you heard or did you improvise somewhat? I find this talent of playing by ear intriguing.

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          1. I was usually able to pick out the melody for the right hand, then improvise with the left. ‘Memory’ was practised on a beer mat in a pub as I went through the notes in my head. When I finally got to a piano, I had it off to a ‘t’ but never got the Big Finish with that final key change. I did play one piece by Vangellis in the correct key and got the left hand almost spot on too by listening to it for long periods.
            I always found the key F# easiest to play in and when I had the electric organ with the foot pedals, the only piece I could play with all three keyboards (and in the key of C major) was A Whiter Shade of Pale!

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  2. I was made to have piano lessons as a kid. I hated them, my teacher rapped my knuckles with a ruler whenever I made a mistake. Eventually I was allowed tt give up. I wish I’d had a decent teacher, if I had I’d like to think I would have gone on to play a grand pipe organ, my favourite of all instuments.

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    2. Teachers make all the difference. My teachers were excellent. When I first started with piano lessons, I was 7 years old; my teacher was stern but never forgot I was a child and there was always a bit of playfulness in our lessons. Still, there was no doubt who was in charge! I’m sorry your teacher didn’t have more patience. It makes me sad to know your knuckles were rapped with a ruler when you made a mistake. That type of behavior does not foster a desire to learn. It just makes you wish your lesson was over and you were outside playing stickball with your friends! I think you could have been a wonderful pianist and organist.

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