1824

Thursday, February 9, marks the 1824th day in a row that I have played my harmonica. I bought my first one on February 9, 2001. It was a snow day so I went downtown to get a haircut. On the way back to the parking lot I stopped in a small shop that was closing because it was to move to the new mall that would be opening soon in Coralville. The store was pretty much depleted of all items, but I did spot a single harmonica on a shelf. It had been marked down and then the price halved again.

I bought it! The harmonica was in a small box. It was wrapped in a very thin kind of paper. Also, included in the box, was a brief overview of the harmonica and the music for “When the Saints Go Marching In” in the key of C.

Now, I need to say here loud and clear, that I know nothing about music. It fact, on the scale of 1 to 10, with 1 meaning I know nothing, I would be at about -3. I can’t dance and have no rhythm. I have tried to learn to dance and twice took guitar lessons. I was a failure at both. I read or heard somewhere that a harmonica is the easiest instrument to learn so I decided to try.

On that snowy day I vowed to learn to play the harmonica. I decided to play “When the Saints Go Marching In” over and over, much to Becky’s chagrin. Those who know me know I am nothing if not stubborn. So I played it over and over. When I thought I had it, I moved on to another song with a familiar tune. So, over time I have added to my repertoire of songs.

When I say I have played my harmonica every day for 1824 days I don’t mean I have practiced it everyday. I practice once or twice a week. Playing it is just playing a song or two every day. To insure that I do that I play “Amazing Grace” every morning. I play it once as a prayer for me, once as a prayer for all of our loved ones, and once for the troubled in the rest of the world. So I guess you could say I pray for you everyday whoever you are.

Someday, I would like to take some lessons to learn how to do more of the blues stuff and the riffs that go along with many songs. I have a library of many “how to” books and have many different kinds of harmonicas.
I usually give away mini-harmonicas when I work with students and when I am doing storytelling. While I was principal at Longfellow we had a harmonica club that met once a week and occasionally performed during school assemblies.

I am still not any good at it but don’t plan to stop playing. I know they will probably take my harmonica away if I ever go to the nursing home. I hope you will all see that I always have one.

So, I have played 1824 days in a row. You’d think I could play a lot better by now. Hmmmmmm…

My Harmonica

I have a harmonica
That I have wanted to play

I do practice just a little
Almost every day

It makes a whistle
It screeches and brays

Doesn’t it know?
I have music to play?

I have a harmonica
It needs to be played!

No matter how I try
The notes are not made!

I huff and I puff
I draw and I blow

Breathless, I pause
Still, no music! No! No!

I’ll keep on tryin’
A quitter I’m not

It drove away my friends
So it’s all that I’ve got!

Perry O. Ross February 9, 2006
(I have practiced poetry even longer and I am not any good at that either.)