Some Things Don't Matter

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This old gal…

Had a velvet dress…when she was ten…a blue velvet dress…made by that seamstress mother of hers…it was soft…beautiful…and worn only on special occasions…

Ten year old me…took piano lessons…was entered into a competition by the piano teacher…her student…proudly wore her beautiful…blue…velvet dress…

Had to start with a scale…the judge selected F major…then the chromatic…a song by Bach…and an upbeat piece…called Flamenco…to ten year old me’s displeasure…had to play a second time…for more judges…this time the B major scale…along with the chromatic…and musical selections…

It was then…time for lunch…a hot dog…with mustard…bright yellow mustard…that ended up blobbed…sticky…smeared…down the front of beautiful blue velvet dress…

Mother aways said…mustard stained…ten year old me…was devastated…

Couldn’t focus on awards…sat in an auditorium…full of pianists…was called to stage…awarded first place…was congratulated…Piano Teacher patting my leg…saying…don’t let this go to your head…

Remember thinking…don’t let what go to my head…ten year old me had no comprehension of the magnitude of the win…but the ache in the gut…was well aware of the magnitude…of potential consequences…at home…of this mustard stain…

On the beautiful blue…velvet dress…

50 years later…flowered pants wearing old gal…now knows…that mustard stains…don’t matter…
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And ten year old me…agrees…