the trombone

I like playing the trombone. I like taking care of my trombone. I enjoy the way that I treat it so carefully and guard the slide so tenderly. I like it that I have such a persnickety, painstaking, perfectly ordered, time-consuming way of cleaning the slide, and that I follow that method so thoroughly. I like the response the slide has after such a cleaning, so beautifully smooth, rewarding me.

I enjoy how careful I am with myself when playing. I brush my teeth now before playing, although I didn't always. I find that I am becoming more .... I hate to say it, but the word might be obsessive ... as I've been playing longer. Lately I have been playing early in the evening, eating dinner just as soon as I get home and then playing after that (with a quick toothbrushing inbetween!), and I like that timing, I like positioning my playing at the perfect time on the clock like that.

I play longer, too.

It really is a gorgeous instrument. It sounds nice, too.