What does my head look like?

It was an odd question, but I guess many people had thought it. I guess the answer to me was obvious, but clearly it is not.

So here is my answer, for those of you who have also wondered. What does my head look like?

My head is quite simply, perfectly formed and shiny. There are no blemishes, beauty spots nor scars. There is not one strand of hair, not one.

It is like a stone you find on the washed out beach. A stone that has been washed over by the tide hundreds of times. Each time, washing away any bumps, smoothening out the surface leaving a soft yet hard exterior. 

It is curvy and shiny. It's warm to touch and has a layer of natural oils protecting the shell.

It is mine. It is part of my look. It is what I have been given and I have learned to love it.

Quite simply it's beautiful.

Lean into it

"Lean into it" is an expression I had not heard before. At least I had never noticed hearing it before. However in 2 days, in two different contexts, I heard 2 different people say "lean into it". Both times the expression had an impact on me.

The first time I heard this was on a you tube link. It's was a great TED video featuring Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook. Google it, it's well worth watching. She was saying that women should "lean into it" more. She was referring to women in their career. They should take on new challenges in a big way and not shy away from big leaps.

The second time was in a Hollywood film "People like us". It was a cute film, the kind that I like, good solid entertainment, the kind where you can shed tears of joy at the end. In the film the Uncle was giving his nephew, six rules for life. One of them was "lean into it". Of course, in true Hollywood style the boy did, and the results were beautiful. You get the picture.

As I don't believe in coincidences, I began thinking about how profound this phrase was. There is nothing really revolutionary about the idea of getting stuck into things, grabbing the bull by the horns, but the simple truths are often the most pertinent. The truth is, that getting really involved in something and becoming passionate about a cause, always reaps great results. Leaning into something and giving it your all, almost always pays off. Half assed attempts are not fruitful for anyone and let's be clear, they are often not as much fun and do not really reap the rewards.

So as I heard this phrase, I realized that there were things I wasn't leaning into, a few things that I was only sort-of doing. Some projects at work, some relationships and also some hobbies.

So my commitment for the week is to lean into at least one thing this week, just that little bit more. Give it that extra focus and uumph and see where it leads.

Anyone else up for the challenge?

The bloody recorder!

Playing the recorder at school is a memory for most people of my generation. Or should I correctly say learning to play the recorder.

I can't say I ever got any good at it, but I do remember enjoying playing it. Be it at school or in the garden shed with my friends.

Honestly, as my some of my older friends will attest to, I was quite bad at music lessons. I even got thrown out of the school orchestra, oh the embarrassment, and I was only playing the triangle!

So the chances of me, being any good at the recorder, are very slim.

Luckily my memory is kind and I remember I was at best average.

Now that my eldest daughter has embarked upon recorder lessons, as part of the school curriculum, it all comes flooding back. I can still pull of a reasonable London's burning, if begged. But really, nothing else has survived the years.

However as I see my daughter struggle with learning the instrument, I start to see why.

There is so much to do. And all at the same time.

You have to breathe in a consistent and rhythmic way.
You have to master the strength of the blow
You have to look at the music notes
Then translate them into finger movements
All the while ensuring you are covering the holes fully and not partially
And then move on to the next note at the same time, to ensure you know what's coming.
Oh yes and some notes need to be held longer than others......

It's a lot of things to do!

So today I ask you all, to have empathy with the screeching across the nations, as your children begin to discover the pleasure of music. And most of all, to encourage and find joy in the sometimes nasty sounds, filling the hallways.

It's understandable.