Abracadabra

A very long time ago, I played the flute in a local marching band. I must have been about 10 yo back then. Every Friday evening and Sunday morning, I left the house to go play music with the band. Not many people my age there to hang out with, but we got along pretty well. On special occasions, we would go out in the streets to play music. We wore uniforms and mine was way too big. I was a kid and they only had grown up uniforms. So the little hat slipped over my eyes, my sleeves covered most of my hands and my skirt - that was supposed to be just under knee height - hid my ankles. Most of the time, I was too afraid to play my flute. Afraid to make a mistake. So I pretended.

Sometimes the leader of the band asked all flute players to stand up and play. I hated that.. all I wanted to do, was disappear in the ground. How many times did I whisper my Abracadabra, but it never worked..

I stayed in the band from age 8-18, mostly because my parents made me, but also because I loved to play the flute and mine was provided by the band. My sister got her own piano and my brother a set of drums, but my flute was borrowed.. So if I wanted to continue playing, I had to attend the band. By the time I was 21, I had saved enough to buy my own flute and I left the band. I haven't played much since. But at least it's my flute now and I don't need to attend any band if I don't want to.

Our eldest daughter has been playing the flute for 4 years now. She does real well. She's in a band. So every Friday, she meets with her peers and they play great songs. When they have to perform in public, I wonder if she says the magic word.. Abracadabra..