Music more regularly

I've posted a variation of this before.  And now I'm saying it again.  :)


One of my middle-aged wisdom items is that the secret to happiness is to spend as much time as you can doing the things you like -- and avoid as much as possible doing the things you don't.  Within reason:  you still gotta pay bills and wash the dishes; and don't do things that are bad for you or harmful to others.


So:  it takes me a long while to get around to playing an instrument -- but once I do, I find it great, and realize I'm an idiot for not playing instruments more often:  the very act of playing [nearly always] makes me happy (i.e. intrinsic rather than extrinsic rewards).  

And then I don't pick up a guitar for (literally) another two months....  ("Duh.")


So, starting maybe half a year ago, I started making an effort to play something [nearly] every day:  bongos; guitar; (unplugged) electric bass; etc.   I even started keeping drumsticks in the car, so I could "play the steering wheel (and dashboard)". 

Often I'll do the "guitar cousin" thing of noodling around on guitar or bass while watching t.v. (Netflix, really) -- often coming up with some interesting riffs that I'll use for "something".

So:  not task-oriented (i.e. directly songwriting, or recording).   But I'm just enjoying the experience -- and getting incrementally better in the process.

Just making myself happy.  :)



Which -- BTW -- none of the kids seem to do that.  So my musical inclination doesn't seem to have passed through to my children:  maybe the grandchildren? 

But I do notice that The Girl doodles and draws of her own accord:  good.  :)


--GG