Guitar Lesson

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I started learning guitar online. It wasn’t live classes, but pre-recorded online classes. I really enjoyed them, and I studied and practiced diligently for a few years. Then, it occurred to me that I was almost finished with the course, and I didn’t know what to do next to learn more. I emailed the class teacher, Doctor McAllister, asking for his advice on the subject. What he said was that he would be in my area in a few weeks, and that he would be happy to meet me and have a class together. Although I was nervous about it, I accepted the suggestion. A few weeks later, we met and started the class.

I thought we would probably play songs together over and over again, until I could play it really well. But that wasn’t the case at all. He only asked me to play a song a few times, while he played rhythm guitar as accompaniment. Then, we stopped and this is what he said to me:

“You can learn and play songs, so we don’t need to spend time on that. It’s time for you to learn techniques, so it will be easier for you to improve and reach the next level.” Then, he showed me that my left hand was not in the correct orientation on the fretboard, but it was tilted. He was right, and although it was easy for him to see, I hadn’t noticed it before.

“Your muscles are too tight, Michael, and it’s hard to have facility of style without loose muscles. So relax before you play!” said Dr. McAllister.

Insight

That caught my attention right away, as my wife had recently said the same thing to me. We had been on a bus trip for a few weeks – something I was nervous about beforehand, as I get motion sickness quite easily. Fortunately, I didn’t have much of a problem with it this time. But my wife noticed something when the bus was rocking back and forth. “You’re fighting the motion of the bus, and you’re tensing instead of just letting go. You’ve got tight muscles not just on the bus, but all the time, and that’s not a good thing. You need to do something about that!” she said.

Both my wife and my guitar teacher were clear that I had a problem with stress, but what on earth could I do about it?

Recommendation

I asked ChatGPT (Artificial Intelligence) what the best way for me to relieve physical tension and mental stress was, and here is the answer I got back (which I have edited):

The best way for you to relieve physical tension and mental stress is to do deep breathing combined with movement – for example, yoga, tai chi, or mindful walking.

• Why? Gentle movement is combined with controlled breathing - which releases muscle tension and reduces stress levels in the mind.
• How to do it? Choose an activity that brings a natural rhythm to your breathing and movement - which will allow your body and mind to connect together in a state of relaxation and balance.

If you had to choose one, mindful walking is the simplest and most effective option.

Crazy Old Man

One day, when famous investor Marc Andreessen was driving in Palo Alto in Silicon Valley, he almost hit a crazy old man crossing the road. Looking back, he noticed the man was wearing a turtleneck and blue jeans. “Oh my God, I almost hit Steve Jobs!” Andreessen said to himself. He was right. Jobs was walking near his company - Apple. He was famous in the area for the long walks he would take. He believed that there were great benefits to walking – for exercise and meditation, for solving problems, and even for holding business meetings. He was right, and experts agree that walking has these benefits.

I hope you don't think I'm crazy, walking every day like Steve Jobs, or Forrest Gump! But despite that risk, I will continue with the same walks, because they are already doing me good, no doubt. The walks get rid of physical and mental stress, and if you have stress of any kind, put on your shoes and go for a walk!

I had been as brave as a lion up until the day before the operation. But then the truth hit me, and I realized for the first time that it was a heart operation. I had understood the words earlier but I did not understand them personally and as they applied to me. That operation would have been easy for another person, but now I understood correctly that it was not for another person. I might die, I told myself. Don’t be silly, said another voice in my head. It is a minor operation, and I will be back home tomorrow evening. All right, said the other voice, if everything goes without a problem, but there might be a problem, and what would happen then? The other voice was ready for it. You are as safe as a bank note, son! Doctor Gibson performs the same operation day after day, and his patients have never had a major problem. And another thing, he told you about the new, even safer surgical technique that he is currently practicing. The surgery is shorter, and people are back to their old selves more quickly too. I understand, says the first voice, but can’t I avoid any risks and continue with my medication regimen? But there are risks involved in that direction too. Your atrial fibrillation is getting worse over time, and it’s already a life-limiting condition. Not only that, but it’s more likely than not that you’ll have no other option but to have the surgery in the years to come. In that case, the surgery might not be as successful when your disease is more advanced.

I understand what you are saying, sensible voice, and although I am still worried about it, the right thing to do is to have the operation without delay.

With that I went to bed and in the morning I prepared to go into the hospital. I had a fasting day before the operation because I was going to have a general anaesthetic.

I was told to come in at eleven o’clock. After half an hour in the waiting room I was taken into the pre-operative room. I put on a surgical gown, and then I had to wait. My wife was with me and we were able to talk and chat together. Unfortunately, however, the surgeon had a few difficult cases that delayed my operation. It was a long day, and at five o’clock the surgeon arrived and was sorry that my case was delayed, and that he was going to do the operation anyway, and that I would have to stay in hospital overnight. My wife was then able to go home, and the surgeon would call her after the operation.

Bhí mé stiúgtha leis an ocras agus spalptha leis an tart, ach ní raibh mé in ann bia nó deoch a bheith agam. Tar éis tamaill, chuir an ainéistéiseolaí é féin in aithne dom, agus chuir sé cúpla cheist orm chun cinntiú go raibh gach rud i gceart. D’inis sé dom faoin bpróiseas maidir leis an ainéistéiseach, agus go n-ionsáfaí tiúb i mo scornach chun cuidiú le m’análú le linn na hobráide.

Finally, around seven o’clock at night, I was taken into the operating room and then onto the operating table. There were large machines on each side and a wall of screens showing all kinds of measurements and images. There were also medical staff in the room, all of whom were very busy doing various tasks. One person placed sensors on my chest and back. Then, I was laid down. The anesthesiologist was positioned behind me. The surgeon was not there yet.

The next thing I knew, I was in the pre-operative room, and awake. A nurse told me that everything went well, and that my heart was now in the right rhythm – which I saw on screens next to my bed. I was taken to another building on a trolley, and into a nice room with a nice view of the city of San Diego. I had to stay in bed for four hours, to make sure there was no problem with my femoral artery bleeding. A nurse gave me water and food (crackers). I ate everything there was and drank a lot of water. I couldn’t go to sleep because of a slight pain in my chest. The nurse gave me medicine to relieve my pain, and before long I was able to sleep.

Early in the morning, I ordered a big breakfast, and promptly ate it. Then, I texted my wife, and then I called her. She was so happy to hear from me, and she said that the surgeon had called her after the operation, saying that he was happy with the operation, and that I was recovering.

My wife arrived at the hospital, and by lunchtime we were checked out and on our way home. I had received post-operative orders, and the main order was to take it easy for a week – no exercise other than walking, and no heavy lifting. I followed the instructions without question, and I had no problems. I then resumed my normal activities, including exercise. I had no problems at all, quite the opposite. I felt better than ever, and I was able to do everything and more after the surgery than before. It’s almost two months since the surgery as I write this, and I’m going from strength to strength in terms of energy. If you have any irregularity in your heart rhythm, I would recommend that you go to the doctor immediately. And if you have fibrillation, be sure to ask the specialist about ablation. That surgery could radically change your life and give you back your health. And don’t worry about it, the benefits are definitely worth the trouble!