Jane Doe, Alive and Well

Well, if you’re the kind of person who needs to have happy endings you may not want to read the rest of this blog. Here, we’ll end it for you now: And the homely piano found a new home, and they all lived happily ever after. The End.

Still there?
So, you like unhappy endings. You know, you can get help for that.
Well, read on.

We bought the unlovely piano for no more than a song.
I did not go to the loading and transportation party. I don’t know a thing about moving a piano, but I do know a lot about giving unsolicited and unneeded advice, because I do it all the time. I must be getting wiser, because I stayed home in the kitchen, where I do know a thing or two about cooking a meal to thank wonderful friends who help you move pianos (thanks wonderful friends, you know who you are).

When the unsightly piano was finally safely in the living room, (the only gouges in the floor being the ones I made myself moving the couch) I said to my husband, “You know, it’s not nearly as ugly as I thought!”
“It’s hideous.” He replied.

I prefer to think of it as marred. Or worn. Or a piano of Character. It has Presence.
My friends were kind (and I know them to be honest people, too).

“It’s just blemished.” one friend says.
“It sounds better than my piano.” says another.
The highest compliment came from one of my girlfriends who said it’s a “French country” style.
“Some people would pay a lot of money to have that in their home.” she says (and she has good style; you should see her house).
So now it’s gone from ugly, to unlovely, to marred, to blemished, to French country. I guess that’s how things grow on you.

So where’s the unhappy ending?

Not more than two days after we got this piano, we were at music class and the teacher asked me and two friends, “Hey, do you know anyone who needs a piano? I got a call from some former clients and they have a piano that their kids are done with. It sounds like they just want to give it away. It’s a Chickering. It’s a really nice piano.”

I could not believe it. A piano with a pedigree. Free.

Four days after we got the piano, I got a call from my husband. He was at work.
“You’re not going to believe what just happened.” he says.
He and some colleagues were talking about how torn up East 8th avenue currently is. He told them, “Try driving on it with a piano on your truck”.
His colleague turns to him and says “You didn’t just buy a piano, did you? Because we have two of them we want to get rid of. We bought a really nice one for my daughter, and then later her grandpa bought her a really, really expensive one. I think it’s like a baby grand or something like that. But she’s moved out and we don’t play piano and they’re just taking up space in our house. We’ll just give you one of them.”

He had to laugh. We both did.

For months we could not find a piano. But within days of buying one, we are offered not one, not two, but three pianos. Three. Free. Pianos.
Well, one thing I’ve learned from the piano adventure is that you’ve got to ask for what you need. If we had spoken up and asked around, maybe we would have found these pianos before we found the French Country piano.

Life just has a sense of humor, doesn’t it?
And you’ve got to learn to just laugh along with it.

Jane Doe Recommends For Your Show Of Support Of The Youth Of Our Community:
The Monster Piano Concert (that’s “monster” as in large, not as in hideous)
Tomorrow, Saturday 26th at Laxson Auditorium
Two show: 2:30 and 7:00.
All tickets are general seating and are $12.00 ($14.00 at the door) They still have seats available. You can get them at Chico State Box Office (open till 6:00 tonight), or call 898-6333.
More than 150 youth play in various sizes of groups on 14 digital pianos. What a blast! For the full story, go to:

www.chicoer.com/entertainment/ci_8056254