And I'll Grab my Guitar and Play: Learning a New Instrument

*Zac Brown Band


So today my friend Sarah and I made a pact. We thought about making it blood brothers style and adding to our wolf packs (if you don't understand this reference, you need to see The Hangover), but in the end we just decided to write up contracts for each other to sign. We did so on little square notepaper we have at work that has some other company's name on it.

What's the pact, you ask? She will teach me how to play the guitar and I will teach her sign language. At the moment, I don't know sign language. But my plan is to acquire lessons from my mom and teach Sarah what I learn along the way. This ends up being a win-win situation for me, as I get to learn two new things instead of one...and also, I get to spread the goodness around. You never know when you'll need to use your hands to efficiently communicate with someone. Communication more sophisticated than flipping the bird (something I do not do, for the record).

So let's keep our fingers crossed that 1) Mom has time to give me sign language lessons, and 2) she can find it in her heart to overlook all those years she tried to teach me through repetition and I complained about how annoying it was for her to sign while she was talking to me.

Below are pictures of our contracts.

(I've misplaced them. Pictures to come, when they turn up.)


"My guitar is not a thing. It is an extension of myself. It is who I am." -Joan Jett

"Sign language is useful to the deaf but vital to the Italians." -Paul Carvel