When you can laugh at yourself, you will live longer
=Ted Loader=
Retirement from work was traditionally perceived as the resting phase of life mainly due to old age and the challenges it offered to lead an active life. In the last few years, the world has evolved both mentally and technologically. We have progressed significantly as a society with these changing times. Retirement, today is celebrated and considered to be a whole new chapter of well-planned opportunities to live life to its fullest, do things that you always wanted to do most but couldn’t do due to pressure of work.
Life during retirement requires planning. Many people neglect to think about their future or bear in mind the targets that they need to meet. They may only think about relaxing and staying with family when retirement comes.
However, retired life actually needs certain things to spice it up and socializing is also important. Preparation is therefore important. This may include preparing financially, getting your physical and emotional health in shape, planning about travelling, or any other types of preparation.
Singing and music was one thing that I always was passionate about. In my younger days my good friend Mr. Cyril taught me to play Guitar, although he always kind of discouraged me from learning. He told me Guitar & Music was not your bread and butter since you can’t play the 9th note properly. Alternatively he advised me to ask God to grant me the serenity to mix the notes I cannot belt, the courage to belt the notes I can and give me the wisdom to know the difference between the pitch. Initially I thought it was an encouragement quote until later in life I understood what it meant. Friends….you have them all types around you.
Among the many first few things I did at the inception of my retirement is to fall back on my singing ambitions. I referred to Uncle Google for learning ideas. Some of the few things I understood were that the Singer, or Vocalist, sings the vocal parts in the music, and is the main focal point of the song for the listener. Singers must also be musicians, this means understanding at least the basics of music theory, since there are so many techniques to learn. Also many aspiring Singers choose to attend music schools or take private lessons with accomplished Vocal Teachers and Coaches.
Many of your ambitions are not achievable due to various reasons primarily due to age although various inspirational quotes say you can. Unfortunately none of the above criterias I did embrace seriously as a result indicated somehow or somewhere I could be a vocalist.
Even though all these were deterrents for me to fulfil my singing ambition, yet they did not hinder my courage. I kept on practicing and on many occasions, I passionately volunteered to sing for Birthdays and social gatherings of our family and friends. Unfortunately, I was always recommended, to sing last almost when all left.
Although I could decrypt the encrypted message now, I thought I was not that bad as I saw some were worse than me. I was determined to prove them wrong.
Divine providence was on my side last week when my wife’s birthday happened. Amongst other guests, we had also invited a famed celebrated singer, actor and director for the occasion. A living legend of a sort. When I phoned and requested him whether he would sing with me on the occasion he instantly agreed. “I am not that bad after all”, so I thought, or singer of his caliber wouldn’t agree to my instant request. But there was one condition. He said I have to rehearse in front of him before the celebrations began. Fair enough, although to sing his song, his tune, in his presence was like committing a suicide and needed guts but I wanted to give it a try so I requested him to arrive a little early so that we can practice.
On his arrival I ushered him to our bedroom and playing the minus track of the song I sang the first 2 verses. Without blinking his eyes “Lovely” he said; “I need to hear it once more.”
Wiping the perspiration on his forehead “Excellent” was his 2nd remark but asked me to sing again. “You are just wonderful and you have sense of music. Can you sing the 1st and 2nd verse again? I was now absolutely sure that my singing has impressed him.
History conclusively proved time and again that he was very difficult to satisfy. And here I was proving the review writers wrong. If he liked my singing, then I must be really good.
I was jubilant and emotionally encouraged, confident that all negative reviews about my singing from my friends were erroneous. Probably they did not understand music.
After the fourth repetition I approached him, and with folded hands I said to him “Sir thank you very much. You, enjoying my singing means a lot to me”
“No..No.. its not that Agnello” he said adjusting his glasses and in a stern voice. “It’s just that I wanted your singing to be perfect. We don’t have much time now or else we could go on practicing till morning.”
With my warmest regards and Spiritual salutation to you all enjoy the onslaught of coming Monsoons.
By: Agnelo A. S. Fernandes(Ward : 12)