To me, music is a beautiful thing, brings many cultures and people together. The guitar is one of my favorite outlets that I use to get by in life. I use it almost every day and if i had the time i would play it all day. I love all kinds of genres, typically that’s where music shines the brightest, there is something for everyone and every mood. My genre changes depending on my mood and what I want to hear. My journey with the guitar goes deeper than just a lovely instrument. It has brought me out of the dark, gotten through the worst days and the best days of my life recently which is why it has a lot of meaning to me. Everyone in this world has suffered due to the tragic world wide covid-19 pandemic. It has caused a lot of stressful times with society and people, jobs have been lost, the economy has fallen and the way we live our day to day lives have changed dramatically. My personal experience with this pandemic and quarantine has been a wild ride. It started off a smooth ride and then quickly turned for the worst and finally corrected myself. At first glance I didn’t mind the idea of not going to school and staying home watching tv, playing video games and doing whatever I want. For the first month it was pretty smooth sailing. I slept in everyday and was on a free schedule. I thought life was in a good place. But I made a short mistake and had a real slap in the face. I became sick of isolation quickly, and then the thought of my last highschool year coming to a close was hovering over my shoulder every single day. After the first month I was filled with deep sadness, frustration, and emptiness. The thought of not saying goodbye to so many people that i’ve spent my childhood with and growing up. Life is just slipping away and all I could do is just stay inside to protect myself and family. I had no motivation to do anything due to the fact that there was nothing to do. I had gone through every single movie and video game in my drawer. I even fell off of school and did turn assignments in or do at work. I was just losing at life and could not seem to adapt to this new way of living. It became very frustrating to me to find my purpose or an activity that would not involve a phone or computer. Music has always been a big part of my life as explained in the beginning. One day during the month of april I was listening to my favorite band, The beatles. Along with that I stumbled upon a guitar advertisement on the web. At this point I was desperate to find a rhythm for myself to live. So as I looked through the advertisement I quickly made one of many impulsive purchases and bought a guitar. I have a huge love for rock and roll music. I thought it would be perfect, and it turned out to be one of the best investments ever in my life. During this morbid time I played my guitar hours upon hours each day. It allowed me to channel my sadness and frustration right through the instrument. After every jam session I would feel calm and relaxed. Pretty soon I began to wake up everyday a little happier than the next and was a natural at it. Music itself got me through the rough times of the pandemic and helped me get back on my feet and find a good rhythm to my everyday life. All of a sudden I went from a dark place to a slow steady upward trend and got it together. Now I am well adapted to this new standard of living with the hope that one day we can return to what most people say is “normal” life. But I hope it is a new and improved way of life that everyone can prosper.
Submitted by Mauricio De Miranda-Arce, San Diego County — Bonita.