Raw

There sure is something about that raw feeling. On fingertips, on heels and arches and toes. It means you're trying something new, that you're using them. It means you are experiencing.

I've recently picked up the ukulele. And by recently, I mean very recently. But I'm going to let you in on a little secret: I love it. And part of what I love most is this raw feeling on my fingertips. I love to sit here and press them against things--my thumb, mostly--and feel that dull ache. The burn of the warm keyboard on them reminds me again that I have been working towards something. Yes, my fingertips are red and raw and achey, but they suddenly have a purpose.

And now they can't wait to prove themselves.

Such is life. We work and struggle and begin to see improvement in ourselves. But then, when we go back to keep on keepin' on, suddenly it hurts. The places that we have worked are tender. They're raw. They're red, and they're achey, and even the slightest warmth feels like a burn.

But here's the beauty of it all: callouses form, and our abilities will grow. With practice, with time, I will be able to play more difficult chords. I will find them quicker, the ukulele will feel more familiar to my fingers--and the raw feeling will eventually subside.

For now, I think I'll pick it back up and feel the sharpness of the string while I can. I will enjoy it all, every last bit of it.

Such is life.