Mid-year resolutions and numb fingers

Officially it has been two weeks and three lessons since I started playing the guitar. I practice most days until the tips of my fingers are numb. Since I don't have callouses there yet, it usually only takes about 45 minutes to an hour before I can't feel anything. Although my teacher, who is donating his time to my cause, says that I am making good progress, some days it is hard to see. I have learned 13 chords, a pentatonic scale and some riffs, but I can't quite get through a whole song yet. When I can sit down and strum a praise song with confidence, then I will feel like I have accomplished something.

But I digress. I promised to post more on my conversation with Matty the other day and I have yet to do it. The other thing we discussed was the regrets we have. Sounds ridiculous, doesn't it. We're not even old enough to legally drink and we're talking about our regrets. Here's what two guys at the end of their teenage years have to regret: that we didn't stand up for injustices when we were younger. We idly watched as friends mocked and ridiculed those they deemed below them. For some of our friends, that pretty much included everyone. Although we never participated, we also didn't do anything to stop the harassment.

I can think of numerous examples of guys and girls both who were made fun of in high school for nothing more than that they existed and happened to go to our school. One guy was a little later in having his voice change. During his sophomore year, his voice would crack occasionally. For some reason this was enough for our friends to label him "gay". Not a huge deal. Except that every time his voice cracked and our friends heard, they would call out from wherever they were, "YOU'RE GAY!" Not once did either of us stand up for him. By our silence, we unwittingly condoned their actions. I realize this now.

So what have we learned from this? I don't know. Maybe what we took from the conversation was a resolve to not have the same regret when we look back 5 years from now on our lives. There was a passion to the conversation, a steeled resolve. We both knew that our inaction was wrong. From now on, the Brothers Ihms will lead by example, in word and deed.


But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.
1 Peter 1:15 (NIV)