Flash, Micro Story

A Question Of Judgment

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt
#442 where we’re asked to be creative in
exactly 58 words using the word ‘keyboard’.
Also for Sue & Gerry’s Weekly Prompts
Weekend Challenge using the word ‘epic’.
Here’s where the prompts took me.

Trinity Episcopal Church, Broadway at Wall Street
This is the organ in the church where I had my lessons.
© NYC American Guild of Organists



After years of playing piano, I decided to challenge myself by taking organ lessons – not an electric keyboard like the one we hear in “Whiter Shade of Pale” but an honest-to-goodness church organ. One look at the three manuals, impressive footboard, and countless stops on that baby made me wonder if I’d made an error of epic proportions.

NAR©2025
58 Words

Nancy’s Notes: The keyboards on an organ are called manuals, the pedals are referred to as the footboard and the stops are the white knobs on the left and right panels. By pulling a stop, the organist activates a rank of pipes; when a key is pressed, air flows through the selected pipes to produce a sound. The combination of different stops pulled at once determines the overall sound of the organ. The phrase “pulling out all the stops” originated from the pipe organ. When all the stops are pulled out, the organ plays at its loudest possible volume, producing a full and powerful sound. This literal action of using every available resource of the instrument became a metaphor for putting forth the greatest possible effort in any situation. 


This is “A Whiter Shade of Pale” by Procol Harum

Weekend Writing Prompt #442 – Keyboard
Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge – Epic

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31 thoughts on “A Question Of Judgment”

    1. Thanks, Lisa. I thought it was really cool when I learned the origin of that phrase.

      Intimidating is the perfect word. I’ve tried a few other instruments just for fun; none were as difficult or as physically challenging/exhausting as the organ.

      Great comment!

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    1. Good question, Sis! My answer is no. It wasn’t easy but I accomplished what I set out to do …. learn to play the organ. It was never my goal to become a concert organist. Unfortunately, I was derailed by arthritis and knee replacement surgery in 2011. I was unable to continue playing after that. Thanks for your comments.

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