The Lovely Ordinary

I hadn’t opened my clarinet case in over fourteen years.

It had followed me through high school graduation, college, multiple moves, career changes, and marriage. Somewhere along the way it stopped being an instrument and became another box tucked away in the closet.

When I finally opened it, I expected dust.

Instead, I found memories.

Tucked inside the case were my old marching band drill charts, yellowed with age but still perfectly legible. I smiled when I saw the little red plastic field marker labeled C24. I hadn’t thought about that tiny piece of plastic in years, but the moment I held it, I was back on the practice field.

I could almost feel the August heat again.

Band camp in Florida wasn’t for the faint of heart. Long days under the sun, rehearsing the same drill over and over until every step landed exactly where it was supposed to. Learning where “C24” stood on the field without thinking. Counting measures in my head while trying not to melt into the grass. At the time, it felt exhausting.

Now I’d give just about anything to experience one more rehearsal.

My old Vito clarinet was still there too.

It had been with me through every football game, every concert, every competition. The silver-plated keys had lost some of their shine, and it was definitely overdue for a visit to a repair technician, but somehow it still felt familiar the moment I picked it up.

The funny thing is, I wasn’t planning to fall back into the world of clarinets.

I simply thought it might be time for an upgrade.

Back in high school, I always admired the wooden clarinets. Mine was a dependable student instrument, but there was something about a grenadilla wood clarinet that always seemed a little magical. So I figured I’d spend an evening online researching what had changed over the last fourteen years.

That was my first mistake.

One search turned into videos comparing bore designs. Then came debates about grenadilla versus cocobolo wood. Adjustable thumb rests. Different barrel lengths. Nickel versus silver keys. Synthetic versus cane reeds. There are clarinets in colors I never knew existed. Somewhere along the way I realized I had developed opinions about things that high school me never even knew were options.

And honestly?

I loved every minute of it.

Because somewhere between all the research and comparison videos, I realized I wasn’t really shopping for a clarinet anymore.

I was remembering what it felt like to love making music.

For years I’ve had hobbies come and go. Photography became work. Writing often comes with deadlines. Life has a way of turning the things we love into things we schedule.

Music was different.

Music was mine.

There was something special about sitting in a band, blending your sound with everyone else’s to create something bigger than yourself. There was something equally special about practicing alone and hearing yourself improve one note at a time.

I’d forgotten how much I missed that feeling.

My old clarinet is nearly thirty years old.

I’m thirty-two.

Neither of us is in exactly the same condition we were back then. We’ve both collected a few scratches, a little wear, and we’re probably both overdue for a little maintenance and TLC.

But maybe that’s okay.

Maybe some things aren’t meant to stay polished.

Maybe they’re just waiting for someone to pick them up again.

And I think…after fourteen years…

We’re both ready for our comeback.