Calloused Fingers

I was listening to a friend share a story about learning how to play the guitar and how often he wanted to give up when he first began. The first two months were the worst because he had to get used to calloused hands. I asked him what made him persist in his dream and he said it was listening to others play and the amazing sounds that the guitar could produce. It sounded so much like immigrating to another country.

We all hear about the American dream and are excited at the possibilities that moving will bring.  We hear stories of immigrants who have reached the highest echelons of society such as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and believe that we too can reach our dreams. However when we first get here we are faced with major adjustment issues such as

•       Loneliness
•       Money problems
•       Racism and others problems

It is easy to give up in the face of very real problems. We will attempt to deal with these issues on this blog.  I encourage you to continue to expose yourself to the beautiful sounds of what this country can bring because like the guitar the sound is real. It may take great determination to get past the obstacles and go after your dreams but I encourage you to do it.

The rest of the guitar story was that after the first two months, the hands seem to adjust and though some of the roughness on the fingers remains, they no longer hurt. To be a really good guitar player takes practice and persistence just like successfully immigrating to another country.  You have so much going for you

•       You survived a tough educational system
•       You have learned how to speak and write well
•       You have experienced a broader world
•       You have good interpersonal skills because people interacted you when were young.

I am not claiming that we will not have adjustment issues but the goal is to press through them. Many people continue to live with a guitar in the house and never really learn how to play it. We can get stuck in our ways and be satisfied with making it day to day and never really become everything we know we could be. Do not give up on your dream of being a successful immigrant and settle for less than what you can achieve. If you have stalled, pick up the guitar again and rediscover the sounds it could make. Remember; if you keep starting and stopping without following through, you will always have hurting fingers.

The ending of my friend’s story was heartwarming to say the least. He decided to pursue the dream of playing the guitar because a friend who was a great guitarist came alongside him and showed him a few tricks of the trade. With a few months of practice they were playing beautiful music together. If you are already where you always wanted to be then find someone that wants to be where you are and walk along with them.  If you have just started your journey, play on…….there is beautiful music on the other side. Reach out to someone who has achieved what you dream of and learn from them.