CATEGORY: Hobbies, jobs and careers
week 11 topic
What interests and hobbies do you have in common with your parent, grandparents or other ancestors?
This week focus on your interests, hobbies and talents and think about any commonalities you might have with your family and ancestors.
my personal example
I play the piano, just like my grandmother did.
I would always try and play her piano and make music. When I was five years old, my parents got me piano lessons, and I ended up taking lessons all the way through high school and into college. I was the only one on that side of the family who took piano lessons and played , so it was the one thing that just me and grandma shared. On vacation I would go through my grandmothers storage table and look at all her music, and she would give me pieces she wanted me to learn. I still have a few pieces of sheet music from her, The Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy and Manhattan Serenade.
grandma’s talent
My grandmother started taking piano lessons when she was young, they were paid for by her aunt.
By the time she was 19 years old and married, she was quite accomplished. The song she played for her very last recital was Prelude in C# minor by Rachmaninoff.
When I was 13 I was so obsessed with this song, I found her music and made a copy and spent MONTHS trying to learn it, even though I didnt quite have the skills at that time. A few years down the road I FINALLY played it properly, and she was able to hear me reach my goal of learning this song.
Grandma played the piano for her Baptist church for almost 40 years. No straight song out the hymnal for her. She would add flourishes and runs and chords and make it a proper southern baptist gospel song. I was always jealous of how well she could just look at the music and take a plain boring song and turn it into a hand clapping, toe tapping joyous moment.
Like my grandma, I have played the piano and organ at my church on and off for 20 years now. I am a straight hymnal player though, I dont flourish or improvise during meetings.
My youngest son is graduating from High School and I have been asked to play Amazing Grace for their class hymn.
The accompaniment they gave me is a very grandma styled song.
It is full of runs and flourishes and grace notes and when I play it I can almost imaging she is in the room. My mom said that if she closed her eyes she would think that it was Hilda playing. It makes me happy every time I run through it.
Questions to think about
- what are some interests, talents and hobbies you have?
- where did you learn about them?
- did someone have to teach you a skill first (a craft skill like crochet or cooking etc). Ir is it something you have always enjoyed (like reading, or gardening or collecting things)
- who else in your family shares those interests and hobbies?
- when did you discover your talent?
- at what age did you take an interest ?
- how do you know any of your ancestors possessed the same talent or pursued the same interests? did someone tell you, or did you learn it from them?
- How do you feel knowing that you share something in common with an ancestor? Is it meaningful, or does it help you feel connected?
assignment
remember to take a few minutes throughout the week and jot down thoughts, stories, memories etc that pertain to this topic. little bites make big results!
Happy writing!
