Grumpy Ol' Man
Senior Member
- Location
- Kansas, U.S.
In the early 1900's, a Great Aunt of my Mother's was a concert pianist in Kansas City. In the mid-1920's she fell and broke a wrist. Not privileged to have the medical marvels of today, the wrist injury put an end to her piano playing. In about 1928 or 1929, my Grandfather rec'd a call wondering if Esther was interested in playing the piano. My Mother had a keen interest in music. The Aunt said she would give her personal piano to Esther if Grandpa could freight it the 150 miles from Kansas City to their country home. Freight costs were $35.00. In the late 20's, 35 dollars was lots of money to a dirt-poor farmer raising two kids. Grandpa paid the money and the piano has been in our family since.
Not only did my Mother just learn to play the piano, but she became quite accomplished. She played for many, many church services. As Grandpa and Grandma passed and their possessions needing new homes, the piano came to live with Linda and I. This beautiful piece of furniture has followed been part of our home for almost 40 years.
No one has touched the keys in years. All the ivory is there, just no one to turn the keys to music. It needs tuned, having some keys a little flat or sharp from sitting too long. For all practical purposes, it has languished in retirement.
Wanting to downsize and with the kids not having an interest in the piano, we have been mulling over what to do with it. Do we just haul it to the dump? The local piano retailer won't pay anything for it. He wants $150.00 just to haul it off. No one seems to be interested in an old relic... a piano that played beautiful music for decades but is not considered "outdated".... useless.
Today, we found a new home for the over 100 year old piano. Next week, it will be moved to the basement of a local university ministry church. The Priest and his music director are extremely excited. Now they will have a piano for the college kids to play... or to sing along with... in the fellowship hall of their church. A piano that was ready to be discarded as no longer able to be productive, will now provide entertainment for our youth studying to become productive members of society. I know my Mother will be so pleased as she looks down and sees "her" piano in a church... in God's house... once again playing hymns.
How many of us retire and, soon, determine we are no long "of use". We've lived our productive years out. It's now the responsibility of the younger generations to care for us until we leave this Earth. We have no "purpose". As those thoughts sneak into our minds, just think about a piano that was headed to a landfill before someone understood how valuable it still is. If we think of ourselves as "useless"... If we allow those coming after us to begin believing we have no value... so much knowledge and talent will be lost. If we spend our retirement years telling the youth about how good things were "back then", we are teaching them nothing. They can read the history books. OTOH, if we teach... If spend our time talking about today and tomorrow and how they, too, need to not be looking back but looking forward... we will be recognized for our "value". If we applaud the accomplishments of today's generations and help folks see the good instead of dwelling on the bad... we will have a purpose. Not one of use "old folk" should accept being relegated to spending our remaining time as a burden on society. Instead, hope someone realizes the potential of "making music" just like they did with a century old piano. There is so much we can do if we perform a little mental "tuning"... eliminate or at least minimize the few "sharps and flats"... and think what we can do tomorrow to make life a little better for someone.
Not only did my Mother just learn to play the piano, but she became quite accomplished. She played for many, many church services. As Grandpa and Grandma passed and their possessions needing new homes, the piano came to live with Linda and I. This beautiful piece of furniture has followed been part of our home for almost 40 years.
No one has touched the keys in years. All the ivory is there, just no one to turn the keys to music. It needs tuned, having some keys a little flat or sharp from sitting too long. For all practical purposes, it has languished in retirement.
Wanting to downsize and with the kids not having an interest in the piano, we have been mulling over what to do with it. Do we just haul it to the dump? The local piano retailer won't pay anything for it. He wants $150.00 just to haul it off. No one seems to be interested in an old relic... a piano that played beautiful music for decades but is not considered "outdated".... useless.
Today, we found a new home for the over 100 year old piano. Next week, it will be moved to the basement of a local university ministry church. The Priest and his music director are extremely excited. Now they will have a piano for the college kids to play... or to sing along with... in the fellowship hall of their church. A piano that was ready to be discarded as no longer able to be productive, will now provide entertainment for our youth studying to become productive members of society. I know my Mother will be so pleased as she looks down and sees "her" piano in a church... in God's house... once again playing hymns.
How many of us retire and, soon, determine we are no long "of use". We've lived our productive years out. It's now the responsibility of the younger generations to care for us until we leave this Earth. We have no "purpose". As those thoughts sneak into our minds, just think about a piano that was headed to a landfill before someone understood how valuable it still is. If we think of ourselves as "useless"... If we allow those coming after us to begin believing we have no value... so much knowledge and talent will be lost. If we spend our retirement years telling the youth about how good things were "back then", we are teaching them nothing. They can read the history books. OTOH, if we teach... If spend our time talking about today and tomorrow and how they, too, need to not be looking back but looking forward... we will be recognized for our "value". If we applaud the accomplishments of today's generations and help folks see the good instead of dwelling on the bad... we will have a purpose. Not one of use "old folk" should accept being relegated to spending our remaining time as a burden on society. Instead, hope someone realizes the potential of "making music" just like they did with a century old piano. There is so much we can do if we perform a little mental "tuning"... eliminate or at least minimize the few "sharps and flats"... and think what we can do tomorrow to make life a little better for someone.
