My dad made me sign this contract when he bought me the trumpet, that I would practice for half and hour, twice a week at home. It was enjoyable, but only when I was playing with the school band.
Each family gathering (Christmas, Thanksgiving, birthday parites) I busted out the trumpet. I played for everyone there. I'm pretty sure I sucked, and after awhile I just didn't want to play. My dad always said it was okay to showoff. If you had a talent, then make the best of it. But I didn't like doing it. So after awhile I just started leaving the trumpet home when we went out to family parties.
Then I got braces, and it started to hurt when I played. That was my excuse, anyway. I stopped learning stuff about music, and just learned how to play songs. It was still fun, but I never practiced. That contract I made with my father was pretty much destroyed. I never really learned anything. Theory was something that never mattered.
After eigth grade, the trumpet just kind of came home and stayed in its case. Even when my braces came off, I never played it. But I substituted it with a bass.
Now the trumpet is sitting about seven feet to my left. It's completely gummed up and I can't use it. But I really, really, really, want to play it.