In my Element

I look down at my hands. Only to see a small ukulele sitting there. I pick it up, and I stare at the wall. “What to do?” I ask myself. I suddenly close my eyes, and my fingers magically strum to a beat. And then my hands shift, back and forth, back and forth. To a fret, a chord, back and forth, again, and again. As I listen to myself, I’m in a trance, and I can’t get out, a different world is among me now...One I cannot escape after falling into…I try out different chords. Back and forth, again, and again. I try out the basic beginner ukulele chords: Am, C, F, and G. I try out a picking pattern with them. I think, “That doesn’t sound right.” I try something new. I try a normal strumming pattern. And my fingers suddenly strum wildly to a beat. I say, “OK, let’s try that out with some chords now..” I incorporate the chords along with the strumming pattern. Once I get those two steps down, I move on to my lyrics. I assign equal amounts of chords to each verse and lyric. Then I start to play each section of the song slowly, and steadily. Starting off with my introduction, first verse, chorus, then the interlude, and then repeat. Once I feel like I got each section down, I put the whole song together. Again, back and forth, repeat. Slowly yet steadily, the song comes together. I put down my ukulele. I pause. Staring at the wall blankly. “Did I really just write that?” I pick up my ukulele, and practice again. I race down the stairs to show my family my new song I have developed in just a few minutes. They smile, and clap. I rush back upstairs to put my ukulele back up onto my ukulele hook. I jump into bed covering myself with my sheets, and smile. I look up at my ceiling, “Thank you” I mouth, as my eyes slowly close. That night I dreamt of my new song becoming a successful hit. But my imagination can only take me so far in life...So I dreamt, and dreamt, hoping for the best to come eventually...