Posted by Peg in South Carolina
Sunday was this blog’s third anniversary. I think this is a good time for me to admit—to myself as much as to anyone else who might be interested—that weaving is no longer top priority for me. I have known this for awhile. It was really the ease with which I (temporarily) gave up weaving because of back pain issues and so easily and—dare I admit it?-- joyfully embraced the time for practicing for my voice lessons that told me life had changed a bit for me.
Music has been an important part of my life since the time I began piano lessons in second grade. And singing—at least singing in choirs and community groups—has been an important part of my life since junior high school. I have taken piano lessons, ballet lessons, viola lessons. But my gifts in these areas, though present, were not nearly great enough to take me anywhere professionally. So I began college with the intent of getting a BA in music and then going to library school to become a music librarian.
The BA program in music was much too rigorous for most of us who started in it, so most of us turned quickly to other majors. I to English.
For the rest of my life, music---choral music—was the one constant joy. I dreamed of voice lessons. But the idea of actually singing in front of a person—it was far too dangerous, far too revealing. So whenever the notion came into my head, I dismissed it, unhappily dismissed it.
But about one year ago, our church choir director suggested I take voice lessons. No, not because my voice was horrible, but because she saw solo potential. I thanked her for the compliment but that just seemed an impossible dream that I had long ago given up.
And then the choir sponsored a vocal workshop for choir members with one of the local voice teachers---the one, in fact, that my choir director had recommended. Barely five minutes into the workshop I realized that was it. I could sing for her. I could learn from her. I was so excited that I could barely wait for the end of the session so I could find out if she was taking new students and, if she was, if she would consider me (at age 71, you understand!). The answer was yes on both counts. And the answer from my husband was yes as well.
So now I find myself organizing my days around, not weaving, but singing. Weaving is still a top priority, but it is second to singing. I will continue to make a determined effort to weave daily, but if I can’t, it won’t break my heart. And the daily weaving will not last as long as it did.
Unfortunately I find myself with a wide warp with a complicated threading (and treadling) and with very fine threads. I almost thought of removing it and beginning work on more “realistic” things. But then I realized, I am enjoying this. I am enjoying doing the threading. The slow patience. The weaving will take far longer than it might have otherwise, but I am now OK with that.
I will continue to blog about my weaving. But because weaving is no longer top priority and so will consume less of my time and energy, I will blog less frequently and quite irregularly. But, so long as I am weaving, I will continue to blog about it.
By the way, I have no intention of starting a voice blog. Starting a voice blog just somehow does not seem right. Singing is far too personal and intimate, at least for me right now.
Related Posts:
Slow Weaving
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“Renegotiating Weaving (and Blogging)” was written by Margaret Carpenter for Talking about Weaving and was originally posted on June 7, 2010. ©2010 Margaret Carpenter aka Peg in South Carolina.
16 comments:
Slow is okay.
Good wishes on this new path for you! I am in awe of singing, mostly because I can't. I was in awe of weaving because I didn't but now I do. That won't happen with singing. I just appreciate a pure voice.
So glad you have this opportunity to explore the voice lessons. It is good to grab the chance and the weaving will be there if you want to do it or not......
I wouldn't be surprised if you don't start finding out there are many connections between what you know about weaving and what you will learn about using your voice!
I enjoy your blogging, glad to hear you are not giving up weaving totally. We need more music in this world, thanks for adding your voice.
Please stop by Weavolution, we are one year old today.
Claudia
Holly, definitely! I have always been a rush-rush, hustle-hustle sort of person and it is amazing how I find myself getting so much satisfaction out of doing (some things!) slowly.
Thank you for your good wishes, Susan. It too was once in awe of weaving. I am still in awe of things like computerized looms and tapestry weaving.
Delighted Hands, the chance has come late in my life, but I've grabbed it anyway! And I now find weaving a very pleasant, less intense, occupation.
Avocational Singer, weaving has taught me much about patience. That is standing in good stead with singing.
Thank you ClaudiaJane.
It's all good. Our stories are always changing. Sufing used to be #1 and weaving/painting #2 until I developed a balance disorder. So now it's reversed. But I still surf, just not as often as I used to. You've got to go where your story takes you :)
Spinning out of Control, thank you for your lovely and pertinent comment. I appreciated it.
Hi Peg, I'm glad you are enjoying your singing. I think you still have more time to weave than I do at the moment! The path of my life has entirely changed in the past year.
Congratulations on three years of your blog, it's been good!
Thank you Dorothy.
I can't believe it's been three years, congratulations!
I think it's a good thing to have a variety of interests in our lives. I find that different things surface at different times (my own is gardening and homesteading, obviously). I never feel that it means I've set aside previous interests permanently, it's just that sometimes the motivation for one thing is more compelling that for another.
Good thoughts, Leigh. As you might guess, you were in the back of my mind when I wrote this post! Perhaps that is why I felt the need to explain why I wasn't going to blog about voice lessons?!
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