I once passed a church that proudly displayed a large poster, exclaiming that ‘Jesus is for Losers!’ I briefly pondered the implications of that message and then dismissed it from my mind. However I recently joined an Adult Education Class that has somehow made this message relevant. It may seem like a tenuous connection but bear with me on this.
Many months ago, I sat eating a large pork pie in my tracksuit bottoms, shouting at the greedy couple who wanted an extra two bedrooms for their gerbil on Escape to the Country, when I had a ‘road to Damascus moment’ and realised that my life was frankly quite sad. Aside from work, children, the beloved Mr W and my entire back library of Game of Thrones I had nothing solely for me. I felt bored and restless and undefined for want of a better word. My salvation came in the form of an Adult Education poster that passed my way.
Like many people of Britain, I was secretly ashamed of my need. Isn’t Adult Education for ladies with beards, making wicker open toed sandals, or for single men called Brian? It surely isn’t the choice of normal people who have a life and are not afraid of spelling ‘fuck’ out in full on Twitter, but I felt compelled to join and opted for Guitar Lessons for Beginners.
There is nothing more delicious and thrilling than walking into a room with ten complete strangers that have nothing in common with you other than the cheap guitar they have clutched in their sweaty hands. I nodded at everyone and noted that they all seemed like normal people with perhaps +2 ugly points, I smirked with relief and ignored the chap who said he was a beginner and proceeded to play the first two minutes of Stairway To Heaven. The rest of us were quickly united in our contempt of his expertise.
Since then I have come to see my guitar lessons as something entirely for me and as it says in a Hallmark card “Happy people produce, bored people consume”, in my case a careful rendition of a Green Day song and fewer pork pies. Naturally I would never socialise with my fellow learners but it has become an unexpectedly rewarding part of my life and I look forward to our chats about sore fingers, the difficult F chord and the chances of developing RSS.
If you have rejected religion or never found it and feel lost, perhaps lonely, then Adult Education could be for you - seriously. As I pass down the corridors and see rooms full of photographers, patchworkers and yes even wicker basket makers I can’t help but notice how content and happy everyone is.
I’d like to evangelise more but I’ve got to go, just been asked to go for a pint of real ale with the cool kids from Guitar for Beginners. I am so in there!
