Be an Asset Not and Ass

A thinly-veiled parable:

There was this guy named Elmer who played in a tuba band. One day he was blowing his tuba and playing the the hell out of it, he thought. His fingers were pumping those keys like he was tickling the back of an angel's wing (huh?) and he was huffing and puffing like a well-oiled heart machine. One of his fellow tuba players remarked later, "Seems you need a little work on that piece." "What?!," thought Elmer. He had never had a word mentioned about his tuba playing before. Immediately he lost the puff in his cheeks and began to scowl. Elmer had played in some of the best tuba bands in the world, had a solo tuba career and had the fingers of death. Who was this guy to remark on his playing? "Need a little work. Harrumph," muttered Elmer.

With one innocent comment by a guy whose younger siblings he could have fathered, Elmer was felled.

When the guy first said that he needed some work he didn't quite hear him right. Then Elmer immediately said something mildly defensive like "Well, I did make a mistake, but YOU GUYS play the your tubas way round and I need to adjust to that." That was the best knee jerk reaction he could have? Yup, knee jerk reactions are usually not that great.

Elmer could feel this comment tanking his night. He immediately tried to breathe into an imaginary paper bag. When he heard the other guy play his tuba he thought to mentally attack with a thought like "you play like your fingers are gnarled Cheetos and there is no music coming out of that tuba whatsoever. Let me give you a few pointers."

Elmer liked this guy. He is a good guy, but he should make no comment above his station so thought Elmer.

Elmer had a choice, to write him off as a liar, quit the band, play a few weddings where he would be appreciated and then quit forever OR he could take it (or not) and practice harder and more, regardless. What if he was right? Is there any harm in checking?

Elmer recently bought a metronome. Now let's have some honesty: staying on the beat was never his strong suit. Elmer rushes, He can blow all over the map, he gets nervous, he rushes the beat. Columbo may have heard something. He may be right.

So instead of hating (himself) and getting all bent out of shape, he decided to just work on making certain he was a solid, consistent tuba player in the band. Elmer was never about criticising others unless it could help and he most definitely had to work hard on his own playing. The guy may be right or he may be full of feathers, but Elmer can always practice and get better no matter.

He decided to just uncurl his lip and get on that...