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The One

I knew she was the one as soon as I saw her.

A classic beauty with strong lines and soft curves, who still has all her teeth.

I spotted her with the pre-owned pianos at Music City Spokane: a pristine 1975 Yamaha upright with French provincial styling and a dark cherry wood finish. And she sounds as lovely as she looks.

I really, really wanted to take her home.

But nice pianos – even used ones – aren’t cheap or easy. They need to be tuned regularly, they take up space, and they’re heavy and hard to move. Getting rid of an old one is like trying to sell a time-share.

Nobody wants it.

Which is why my practical side has always kept me safely sans piano.

My folks had one, though, and I played it almost every day as a kid. After nearly a dozen years of lessons – some enjoyed with more enthusiasm than others – I was proficient enough that my older brothers stopped teasing me, and I could manage quite a few classical pieces. But my playing tapered off after college, and my mom passed along the family piano to one of my brothers.

Years later, when my own daughter started lessons, I picked up a used Roland digital piano with a full keyboard and weighted keys. My daughter played it for a few years and then stopped taking lessons. Now, she’s gone to college, and the Roland is collecting dust in the guest room.

I don’t have the heart to play it, anyway. It just doesn’t have the sound or responsiveness of an acoustic piano.

The truth is, through all these practical years, I’ve missed playing the real thing. Even with my rusty fingers, I love to play the piano. It’s challenging and complex, fun and relaxing.

A few months ago, my husband and I moved to a new home, one with a living room large enough to fit a piano. So, when he suggested stopping by a local piano store “just to look around,” I agreed.

That’s when I saw her and – practical side be darned – bought her on the spot. I haven’t been able to keep my hands off her ever since.

I only wish I’d found her sooner.

Don’t wait 30 years to pursue what brings you joy.

1975 Yamaha upright



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