About 8 years ago, I started playing the ukulele and even took lessons from a teacher. I practised every day and got myself to the point where he asked me to consider learning the guitar next however, I wasn’t interested in that back then. After all, I had to fit it all in with life and full time work.

So as a result, it was a past time that went by the wayside. I hadn’t picked up the uke in those years and I felt that it was a waste of money of buying the instrument but also of the tutoring.

Well in comes U3A the University of the Third Age and Lo and behold, there’s classes BEFORE my French classes. I signed up. So now both my French and Uke classes are on Tuesday with a little break InBetween to sit out in the community garden under the elm to enjoy my lunch.

Today was the first day of a 9 week term of classes. It was a great day and admittedly I found the ukulele class a lot more fun than the French one which was packed with 19 rowdy students in one classroom. With two French teachers as well, it got a bit chaotic but I hope that improves with time.

Todays session was listening to a French song and learning the lyrics. However as the song was about love in a boulangerie (bakery), all the talk about pain au chocolats, brioche, Baba, galettes, crepes and croissants was making my stomach grumble. I needed a sugar hit 🤣 so after walking home, I jumped into my car and drove to the nearest bakery where I asked for a pain au chocolat. Unfortunately they were all sold out so I settled for a date scone which I had in front of the tv afterwards with my afternoon coffee before falling promptly asleep. After my siesta, I finished reading Checkhov’s short story: A Mental Breakdown.

Later in the evening, out comes my ukulele again where I practiced my C, G, F, G7, Am, chords and strumming patterns just to trigger my brain into action to remember them all again after so many years. Then, miraculously, I did my scales up and down and I REMEMBERED them. I couldn’t believe it.

Maybe it’ll be like my French? I did 6 years of French in high school but remembered none of it until I started during the covid lockdowns where I spent hours on it every week. It just goes to show that motivation and practice is a huge factor in learning. Only after putting in the hours of practice, (despite a long time hiatus from the activity), do you see a spike in the level of your skill until you reach a plateau.

Methinks the reason why I left French and even the ukulele originally is that I reached that plateau and I hadn’t changed my personal learning plan to continually push myself out of my comfort zone. In other words, I got too comfortable where it was easy to make excuses not to practice anymore. It became boring.

Im determined not to make this mistake anymore because I realise it’s happening. I need to get my mind into the groove of “continual improvement” blending it with a continual state of curiosity and interest to hold my attention with just a little bit of getting out of my comfort zone. The latter for me will be the need to sing with the ukulele. I hate singing because well, I have a crap voice but this is the fear that will make me better.