the Manifester

About a year ago, I got it in my head that I wanted a Steinway. For those of you unfamiliar, Steinway is the Rolls-Royce of pianos, I would imagine, or a Bentley or whatever people seem to believe is the top-of-the-line car of the century these days. And if you know me at all, you know I'm not into brand names, and could care less what the logo says as long as it does what it's supposed to do without breaking apart in a week. I even get embarrassed and definitely have the middle-class guilt when it comes to owning nice things... probably why I gave away my BMW even though it drove stupendously. I even put out a disclaimer when people come over to my house for the first time, "Don't judge me for how my place looks. It's just a byproduct of how I was raised, but I'd be happier living in a trailer."

However, when it comes to musical instruments, I can't help but want the best. It's not a pair of jeans or a mass produced factory made product, (well in some cases, yes) but a work of art, crafted to sound just perfect in the hands of a talented musician (...and especially for those of us not as gifted because then whatever you play ends up sounding so much better.) The Steinways are built by hand, and it takes about a year to build this masterpiece. They've been doing it, I believe, since 1853.

Anyway, I had gotten into playing the guitar last year, and it subsequently got me into wanting to play the piano I used to hate as a kid. (I was tortured into playing two hours a day from age 5 to 10 until I escaped the Korean regime and fled to the States.) The painful memories of sitting in front of the giant black torture device while my brother & my friends played outside had finally eased up, and I actually wanted the monster back in my house. (I do have an electric piano, but it's just not the same.)

So I found a Steinway Dealership that sells these quality instruments and I went from one grand to the next like a kid in a candy store playing the only music I still knew how to play: Beethoven's Piano sonata No. 8 or part of it, anyway. Then came over the salesperson with the bad news. Fifty grand for the baby grand. $50,000!? I left the store, deflated.

Finish the remodel of the house or buy a Steinway? It was a tough decision, but in the end, my practical side won over and I shelved my dream of owning a Steinway. But as I always do when I badly want something, I pictured it in my house even though I knew I couldn't afford one on my teacher's salary.

Well, about a month ago, I got a phone call from my mom. Her friend was selling a used Steinway and wanted to know if I was still interested. $25,000, she said. "Mom, my birthday is coming up & I haven't made you waste money on a wedding...how about a piano?" She didn't think that was amusing. (My mom's been wanting me to get married since I was in my early twenties. She thinks I'm waiting for her to die so I can marry whomever I want.) She said if I got married, she'd buy me one. Seriously, here I am finally telling her I want to play the piano, something she's been wanting me to do all my life, and she dangles the marriage bit. I swear, nothing is free in life. People always seem to want something in exchange for whatever they're giving away...even your own parents.

Anyway, I finally convinced her to loan me the money, and got myself that sweet baby grand. (And Hasen, the only friend who was excited for me with this purchase, also gave me a fabulous idea for paying my parents back- my inheritance!) The piano came all the way from Chicago, so it needed tuning. I waited a month for this guy because he's the Master Tuner of all the notable Steinways in the city. He finally showed up this morning, and guess what? The piano's worth $35,000. Not only did I get the piano I wanted by visualizing it in my house, I made 10 grand in a month! How fantastic is that!?

So I've come to really believe what my friend, Lauren said about me. She said I was a manifester, and I think I really am. She said in the year she's known me, whatever I've said I really wanted in my life, I've gotten. And looking back on my life, I think she is absolutely right. It's not a wish thing, it's more of a concrete thing where I say I want this & I'm going to get it. How do you think I got my job, my house, and ended up in SLC? Try it. I don't think it's just me. I think anyone can do it.