Piano Lessons

At one point, Mom was a piano teacher. Trying to save money, she tried to teach me piano instead of paying someone else to do what she was perfectly capable of doing. Smart, right? Well, it didn’t work out so well. As many mothers and daughters can probably testify, it’s a lot easier to show respect to someone you don’t know well. So when Mom would teach me and I would get frustrated, I had no inhibitions to say so. I would get mad, I would pout, I would cry. Poor mom. None of her other piano students ever treated her has badly as I did. (Sorry, Mom!)

I had a children’s book called Grandma’s Secret. In that book the Grandma is babysitting her two grandkids for a week. One day the kids just don’t behave well. It finally gets to the point that Grandma is about to snap, so she sends the kids up for a nap. When they come back down, they find that Grandma is gone and her wicked witch of a neighbor has taken her place. She makes them do all of their chores and doesn’t listen to their whining or crying. The kids are all so scared of her (she’s babysat before) that they just do what they’re told. Later they come downstairs to find the mean lady gone and Grandma baking cookies. They’re so happy to see her that they are pleasant and obedient the rest of their trip there. The very last page of the book shows Grandma folding up her wig, glasses, and dress that disguised her as the mean, grouchy, old woman. Turns out they were the same person the whole time.

I remember Mom once reading that book with me. She turned to me and offered to wear a wig and new glasses and pretend to be a grouchy old woman for piano lessons. Maybe then piano lessons would go more smoothly. I laughed and told her that would be silly because I would know it was her under that wig the whole time. Next time, Mom, just disguise yourself. Perhaps for when you’re babysitting grandkids. :)