"HT"

I don't know if the abbreviation "ht" means anything in your world, but in mine it stands for "hands together". My piano teacher writes it on my weekly "homework" when there's something she wants me to practice playing with both hands - usually it's scales.

A few weeks ago she had me start learning... I don't know what the technical name is but I call them 'double octave scales' because I literally play through two octaves. The fingering is a little different, but learning to play them one-handed wasn't too hard. However, when I try to play them with both hands at the same time, my fingers do a sloooooow craaaaawl up the keys. It's true with everything I learn to play. One-handed is fairly easy, but my pace is significantly slower when both hands are working together (or trying to).

The other day, when I was practicing, I started drawing parallels between "ht" and life. It's always easier and faster for me to do things on my own. I know how I want them done, I don't have to take the time to explain anything... I can just do it and move on to something else. But just like single-handed piano playing, single-handed working doesn't look or sound as beautiful. In fact, it looks and sounds a little empty. A task may get accomplished more quickly, but.... so what?

Inviting others to join me, or offering to join them, means that our pace will be slower. It will take time to get in sync. But just like two hands can play more notes, two people can accomplish more work, reach more people, have a greater impact. And the sounds are more beautiful, more full and complete because there's more than one voice.

It was a great reminder for me, not to be more patient necessarily, but to find true enjoyment in sharing my life with others - regardless of the pace.