My son wrote the following “onelifesuccess” story and is the first family member to submit a post for my blog! I am truly honored to post his submission.  As his father, I could not be more proud of him and the life he is leading.  He is a major inspiration to me.  I hope you enjoy this “onelifesuccess” story written by K-Ski! 

“An Unexpected Success”

Green, red, yellow, and blue dots faded as my eyes blinked and looked across the living room. I wiped the sweat off my hands onto my shorts and stretched my fingers as they were relieved to finally have a break.
                “I must admit you’re getting better dude,” my friend Justin exclaimed as my score appeared.
                “Thanks,” I responded, somewhat surprised at his compliment. Although I only started a month ago I was  already                 contemplating giving the “Hard” mode a shot.
                “Do you mind if I try this one? I asked him. “It sounds pretty cool.”
                “Haha, good luck with that one man,” he chuckled shaking his head. 
After only the first minute, I was in awe. The notes rang in my ears as I struggled to keep up with them. The melody was so hypnotic and serene. Suddenly, I was awakened from my trance. The song had ended and the word FAILED boldly appeared on the screen.      I no longer felt like a “Guitar Hero.” Instead I saw a teenage boy pushing different colored buttons on a plastic controller in front of a television. Some guitar playing, I thought to myself. I wanted to play that song. No, I actually wanted to play that song. Not on a video game, not on a computer, not on a TV, but on an actual guitar.
                Before that summer day in Justin’s living room I had never even heard of, much less listened to, Metallica. But that single song changed it all. It was entitled “One” and appropriately enough it was this “one” song that prompted me to go to the next level.
                From various internet sites I learned about certain guitar notes known as tablature or “tabs.” The beautiful aspect of tabs is that anyone could read them for no previous musical experience was necessary. The lines corresponded to the strings and the numbers represented certain areas on the guitar’s neck. One particular site offered tabs for thousands of songs, and all for free. With a few clicks, I found “One.” This proved that even I, a fresh beginner who never touched a real guitar, could theoretically learn “One.” I needed no more convincing.
                By mid-summer, I received my first electric guitar and ironically, it was on my mother’s birthday. The guitar was a white Ibanez and it came as part of a starter kit that included a small amp, cable, picks, a shoulder strap, and DVD. By the time I got home I was overcome with so much excitement that I could barely stay focused on the instructional DVD that was supposed to be giving me starting tips and pointers. My journey had begun.
                Unfortunately, “One” was not the first song I attempted to play. Like many other aspiring guitarists, “Smoke on the Water” holds that title. However, I did not learn the full song but rather only the introduction of it. My scattered mind and high strung energy did not mix well with the patience that is necessary to learn entire songs. Thus, learning solely the introduction of a song before moving onto the next became habitual.
                However, I do take pride in the first full song I learned. It wasn’t a rock ‘n’ roll classic like “Back in Black.” It wasn’t the inspirational metal song like, “One” and it certainly wasn’t the 2007 country hit, “I Love this Bar.” It was a simple jingle, one that everyone sings at some point in his or her life. The first full song I learned was “Happy Birthday” and I can happily say that I performed and sang it to my mom on her birthday.

written by K-Ski