Six days ago, I picked up a guitar. Prior to that, I’d picked up a guitar maybe twice. Never to do more than strum the strings that sound funny on their own. It always hurt my fingers to play, and while I thought it would be neat to know how, I have always had a piano to pound around on should I feel the need to exercise my musicality. Learning was never a priority.

I have played the piano (mostly classical music) since I was about 4. I got really good, and then went to college, where, since then, I’ve played sporadically at best. My mother is a music teacher; her mother was a music teacher. But it’s different now. I don’t have a piano here. Mine is in Texas in my mother’s classroom. Can I have it soon, please? As an aside, that is/was my grandmother’s piano- the one my mother learned to play on. That I am going to get it is super cool. I’ve even got a place for it in the new house.

With the help of Zach I taught myself how to play a few chords on the guitar this week. I was pounding out a G chord, a D chord, and a C chord and before I knew it, well…After the Spin last week, I was told that I should put those lyrics to a melody and make it a country song. Little did you people know I’d actually do it!

This week, our Spin was about a song that has affected my life. At this point, I’m sure it’s obvious that I am writing about mine. Let me introduce you to my song, “Nine Miles”. Life has changed for me so much for the better since I moved to this place that I talk about in the song. I am more confident. Less stressed out. Happer than I thought it possible for a human to be. I had to make a few lyric changes to make it work for the melody. But it’s pretty close to the original. Please don’t be too hard on me. I’m by no means good at playing. YET. Give me a couple months, Ok, folks? Hopefully you’ll enjoy it.

Thanks to my mom and to Zach for helping me in this endeavor.Y’all rock!

Nine miles down a gravel road,
Is a place that we call home.
Where we live and laugh and love;
Where the grass grows tall and green.

Nine miles down a gravel road,
Is a place that we call home.
The river and wind flow through it,
The skies are clear; the air is clean.

Nine miles down a gravel road,
Is a place that we call home.
Summer smells of fresh cut hay;
Of sun and wind and beef.

And when the road you’re taking
gets to hard to bear;
There’s a place I know and you’re
always welcome there-

It’s…Nine miles down a gravel road,
To a place that we call home.
Where there’s horses all around,
Where family abounds

Nine miles down a gravel road,
Is a place that we call home.
Where we live, and laugh and love
in a small house on the hill…

Nine miles down a gravel road.