Have you ever had to make
a difficult decision in life, not knowing if it would be beneficial? This has happened to me many times, but the
most memorable was when I had the choice to learn piano. This was a monumental turning point for me
because it was the first time that I had the choice to be open minded about
something new in my life. Ever since
then, I have tried my best to keep an open mind to new experiences no matter
what. So what exactly does it mean to be open minded?
Being open minded means
that you are willing to consider new ideas or other people’s ideas and
suggestions. Being open minded can range from playing the piano to wanting to
hear what other people have to say. Being open minded is an important character
trait to have throughout your life. Being open minded is important because it
can lead you to be curious about new things.
“Who knows, maybe you
will like playing piano,” my mom said.
“I doubt that, but I will try it anyways,” I
responded, rolling my eyes. I opened my car door, not very enthusiastically,
but in my head, I kept telling myself, who knows, maybe you truly will like
it and you're wrong.
I opened the door to my
first piano lesson and a door to a whole new world. A cold rush of air flooded
my body, making the hair on my neck prick up. I walked on unsteady feet to my
new teacher and piano. Sitting down on the piano bench, I felt a sense of
relief and comfort suddenly come over me.
My piano teacher started
the lesson right away, explaining all the different parts and keys of the
piano. At first, it was very confusing. It felt like a twelve-foot wave had
just come crashing down on me, but my teacher took her time to make sure I
understood everything. After a couple of minutes, I started to get the hang of
it. The notes calmed the strong waves into peaceful oceans, seeming to make
everything so much better. Before I knew it, I had learned three songs. I fell
in love with the piano because the song sounded like it was telling a story,
and every time I played another note, another part was added.
“Time to go,” my mom
said. I could not believe it; no, I didn't want to believe it. I wanted
to keep playing and learning forever. Maybe my mom was right; maybe I do
like playing the piano. My teacher was very shocked about how good I was at
playing the piano for never playing before and how well I understood
everything, which brought me back to reality. I practiced hard and improved,
kept going to lessons, and practiced, even more, every night up to this very
day.
Today I am playing songs
like Fur Elise and songs at my church that I enjoy playing. This all happened
just because I kept an open mind to a new experience. Maybe you should try to be more open minded,
or maybe if you already are, try harder, because having an open mind can lead
to opportunities or talents you never knew or thought you could ever have. Who knows, maybe you will find something you
love to do if you keep an open mind to it.
-Josh G.
Josh, you wrote this really well. I really understand the part where you said “I practiced hard and improved, kept going to lessons, and practiced, even more, every night up to this very day.” It was like when i first signed up for Chello. I never thought i would like it, but ended up loving it. You did a great job and I loved reading this piece.
ReplyDeleteBeing open minded is very important, not only for picking up new skills but also for trying new things. You said, "Having an open mind can lead to opportunities or talents you never knew or thought you could ever have," in your conclusion, and I think anyone can have this mindset and benefit from it. For example, if you wanted to try something like a certain ride at a theme park, but thought it would be boring or too scary, if you go in with an open mind you may just find your next big thing. I love how you use figurative language to simulate the playing of the keys calming the "waves;" it really helped me visualize the piano being played.
ReplyDeleteJosh, I really like how organized the paragraphs are and how everything flows along neatly. I need to remember to be open to try new things as well. I feel like your story proves that trying new things can make your life more fun and open so many more opportunities. Also, your mature vocabulary made the story even more interesting. I really like the phrases like, “I opened the door to my first piano lesson and a door to a whole new world.” and “ It felt like a twelve-foot wave had just come crashing down on me.”
ReplyDeleteThe central idea of being open minded is a theme that I can relate to. I play piano too, and at one point I really wanted to quit. I just wanted to stop taking one hour classes each week, and having to practice one hour a day. But, I told myself that my parents had spent a lot of money and time to help me learn piano. I kept an open mind, and continued playing. Although striding through the practice days one by one was very hard to do, I was able to sit in the piano seat and practice. I was into piano in no time, and now, I’m pretty good. I like how you put in similes, like “It felt like a twelve-foot wave had just come crashing down on me…”. I also like how you added later, “The notes calmed the strong waves into peaceful oceans…”. This helps bring the reader relief after imagining the large wave, since they are about the same wave. Your piece is very well written.
ReplyDelete