The Stories of an Immortal

My Violin

A few hundred years ago, when I thought I was as old and wise as I could be, I was given a violin as a present. Exquisite, expensive and elegant, it was everything you could hope for in a violin. However, I had never learnt to play.

Naively, I wondered if by some miracle I might be able to play automatically and become some natural genius at it. That obviously didn't happen, and although I didn't make the worst screech ever, it definitely wasn't the most pleasant sound.

Many good friends offered to teach me how to play, but being extremely arrogant and pompous, I declined, not having the patience to spend another long few years being taught another instrument. So, I decided to teach myself.

And by teach myself, did I mean buy as many books as I could that help you learn, or ask talented musicians how to play? No. I meant wiggle the bow across the strings while my fingers jittered up and down, trying in vain to produce some sort of musical sound. I could even already read music, I just couldn't be bothered to learn where the notes were on the violin!

After a few more stupid attempts at self-teaching, I gave up. I put the fancy violin back in its sturdy case and hid it from view for years and years.

When I next picked it up, all I did was play some random notes because I still hadn't bothered to learn anything else, before I put it away again in a sulk. Only now can I see how idiotic I was being for expecting to immediately know how to play after never putting the effort in myself.

The next time I lifted my violin out of its now dusty case, I was older, wiser, and slightly less naive. I knew that there was no way I would be able to play anything remotely pleasing, so I just stared at it, wishing I was able to play it, yet recognising that I was still too lazy and proud to teach myself or have someone teach me.

My violin sat alone for years, gathering dust, which is a huge disgrace for such a beautiful instrument that could have produced the most amazing sound if I had only had the courage and humility to ask for help. Whenever I see a violin at present, I remember how stupid I was to let my only chance to learn it slip out of my grasp, because now I am cursed to never touch, let alone play, a violin again.