Appropriate Compliments

Happy Birthday, Fredrick. For those of you who do not know what I am talking about I recommend you watch THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE by Gilbert and Sullivan. It was really difficult to come up with something to talk about today. I mean I keep thinking that since I've been doing this for two and a half years it would get easier. Not true. I still feel like my life is boring.

I play the piano and there have been several times when I've played for my church. While I have plenty of time to practice when it comes to the piano solos, there were times that the songs were sprung on me when I sat down to play prelude. I always did the best I could but when needed I only played the melody. Though I don't like struggling through the pieces I came to accept the fact that I was not a master at sight reading. What bothered me is after I screwed up the song people would approach me and say "You did a wonderful job." I often laughed and replied "Not really, but thank you."

Is is so wrong to ask people not to praise a job poorly done but rather the effort. I wouldn't mind it if they came up and said, "Thank you for playing." That is a true statement I can agree with but when people tell me that I play amazingly I get irked. I am not offended if they don't say I did a great job. I understand. I am an adult. I can handle a compliment that is just thanking me for putting forth the effort, especially since I am not disillusion in my ability. This last Sunday I made the comment that I am not a great piano player like someone else. But, I know she puts forth more time practicing. After the meeting she came up and showered me with compliments. Why couldn't she just accept my compliment? I know she is trying to be nice but it gets a little tiresome.