Purposeful forgetting

Tags: #Personal #Music

I used to play the (classical and electric) guitar when I was young(er?).

A sort of coping mechanism (maybe survival strategy) during those years.

When I played, I used to think/be inspired by someone. So, for a long time, playing almost equalled to have that person on my mind.

At some point, thinking about her became quite unhealthy for me, so, I stopped, which also meant stop playing the guitar.

Furthermore, I did my best to forget how to play it.

Nonetheless, I still keep a guitar handy and, from time to time, I pick it up and play something. It is noticeable I'm getting more and more rusty over time; my hands are forgetting, slowly. My head is, as usual, ahead of my body, it has forgotten already.

Still, when my mind starts wandering too much in the past, I stop playing for a while (months, usually).

Eventually, I pick the guitar up again. And the cycle repeats.

It is called purposeful forgetting.