i wish.......

i wish i’d learned how to play the guitar.

listening to our billy play and it sounds so good.

no use me learning now because i’d never get good enough for a gibson.

i wouldn’t want any other because billy’s sounds so amazing.

of course i wish a lot of other things but just now i wish i played guitar.

wish there was a smiley for wistful or dreamy

anybody else have a wish?

carole x

I’ve always wanted to play the piano. My daughter has a good ear for playing piano and violin when she was little. Me-no chance Lol

X

it’s a shame isn’t it?

then again until ms descended i was always super busy!

xx

I wish I’d learned another language

i wish I’d learned sign language

I wish I’d learned to play an instrument - any instrument

1 Like

I wish I’d learned Spanish & the guitar, could see myself strumming away on a verandah in Spain,

I wish I’d learnt to ride horses-love them. Had a few lessons when I was young but none since.

X

My husband plays the guitar.

I used to pester him to play a particular song to me by Christie Moore ‘bright blue rose’ my favorite.

X

blossom

there are riding schools that cater for the disabled.

could be worth a try.

xx

Never thought about that Carole, I may look. I do seem to have a way with animals Lol

X

Do you think limitations of your MS would make it impossible to play Carole?

If not, I think it’s never too late to learn, even if it’d probably too late to reach “professional” standard.

Today, I had my art history class. My friend, who’s considerably older than me (and I’m almost 49), arrived with a mysterious parcel.

Ever nosy, I said: “Oh, been doing some shopping on the way to college?”

To my surprise, she said: “Yes, I’m learning the mandolin! I’ve already got one, but I just fancied a Union Jack one!”

If I’d been asked to guess what was in the parcel, I’d never, in my wildest dreams, have hit on: “A Union Jack mandolin,”

An eccentric thing to take up when you’re pension age.

I asked if she was musical already, and she said yes, at college, she’d done music, and she’d been a music teacher (I knew she was once a teacher, but the only subject I knew she did at college was geology).

She said she used to play the clarinet to Grade 8, but never mastered the piano, which was a drawback, as a music teacher, because everyone automatically assumed she could do it.

But now she’s doing the mandolin!

Tina

x

Oh, also not too late to learn a language! At the moment I’m doing Dutch and Russian.

I’m using two sites: Duolingo, which is free, and Babbel, which is subscription only, but quite modestly priced - especially if you go on their mailing list and wait for the periodic special offers

I started off with just a month of Dutch. The I got on well enough to upgrade to six months of Dutch (it works out cheaper the longer you buy at once).

Shortly after that, they had a half-price offer - or rather a double-time offer. If I upgraded to all languages (currently 13 to choose from - but English is one, so 12 really), they would double the subscription I bought, AND they would round up and upgrade any remaining subscription I already had on a single language.

So, (sorry, it’s complicated to explain), I was just a few days into six months of Dutch. Then I bought a year of “all languages”, which they doubled up to two.

AND they rounded up my very partially used Dutch six months to the full six months again, and upgraded that to all languages too.

So I ended up with something like 30 months all languages for the price of 12! I’m fully paid-up until July next year. When that expires, I’ll wait to see what tempting offers they come up with to lure me back.

Never accept the first deal you’re offered - they always beat it if you’re patient.

Tina

x

hi tina

i would need to give a musical instrument my undivided attention for the first year because i know from experience that unless i do, i’ll lose heart.

i started learning to paint, following my dx and when i was going all guns blazing, i was doing quite well.

(one of my pastels was bought by manchester city council for displaying in the building!)

now, although i have a commission for a painting of wild flowers (watercolour, acrylics or oils - my choice), i just haven’t got started yet.

well done on the languages.

that’s another thing i’d like to do.

i’d love to top up my french and german which i last did at O level in 1975.

i can feel my brain cells disappearing so i need to start doing something soon

carole x

Carry on with the painting Carole, you must be good. Do you enjoy painting?

I’m learning a bit of Italian using the free Duolingo site that Tina mentions. It’s quite good fun and I can repeat lessons as often as I need, which is good with my rubbish short term memory. Once it’s in the longterm I’m off to the next stage.

X

When I was 11, I was learning to play the violin. The only one that seemed to like the hideous noise I made with it was our moggy !!

S’ppose it was a mercy to all when I gave it up.

I do sometimes wish I’d subsequently tried a different instrument - however, thanks to MS, I wouldn’t physically be able to play any instrument these days …barely able to talk now, so can’t even sing anymore!!

Dom

I wish I was artistic but I’m not and I don’t think anyone would be able to teach it as I have no natural talent for it .

I am trying to learn Spanish from BBC podcasts which are free and in 15 minutes lessons. I only listen to them when I’m awake at night which acid reflux though. As that tends to flare up for a few weeks and then leave me alone for a while, I have to start all over again because I often forget some of what I’ve learned. I have retained some of it so there’s hope for me yet! My granny was Spanish and I wish she’d taught me more than a few insults and cusses …

Tracey

l bought myself a Ukelele - 2 Christmases ago - Still have not had a go. Same with the Tai Chi dvd l recently sent for - haven’t even opened the box.

But then again - l have a water-colour and oil painting sets plus the books of art paper - and still it is all boxed unopened. The original enthusiasm must have died the minute l bought it.

lt takes me about a week to do all the jobs l would have done in a morning - so l never seem to catch up.

I am content with my life - I’ve tried lots of things, gotten out of my comfort zone (way too many times), tried to learn languages, I’m not really a languages person, tried to play instruments - I too have tortured the neighbours with trainee violinist screeching, sung with choirs, learned, performed and taught pole dancing, recited poetry in front of crowds, travelled, got tattoos.

I would like to be cremated and my ashes launched into space - not sure quite how I’m going to achieve that one, but its a plan.

Oh, just in case anyone might be interested, I’ve realised I was slightly misleading about Babbel being subscription only.

It is, but there’s a try-before-you-buy scheme, which means you can take the first lesson free, in any language, without obligation. The first lesson will be extremely basic, in most cases, so you don’t get very much for free, but it should be enough to tell whether you like the language, and that style of learning, enough to pay to pursue it further.

If you decide it’s not for you, you haven’t lost anything.

Tina

I wish I had done more things to make me happy than to make my family and other people happy! Oh the joys of a split family! Now I just do things for me. I wish I could also play the drums and guitar. And I wish the woman I love would love me too!!