Practice Tip - Know When to Ask for Help

I had to deal with a flat tire recently. It started as a slow leak, needing air every three days. This week, it went down to every two days, then every day.

At that point, I decided it was time to make an appointment to get it fixed. However, Friday is the earliest I can get in. Time to break out my spare tire and jack.

I spent an two hours fiddling with the tire jack. When you don't need to do something on a regular basis, it takes a long time to remember what your next step is. Once I got to solid ground, I hit a snag when I realized that I wasn't strong enough to take the lug nuts off. Time to call for AMA Roadside Assistance.

Roadside assistance arrived within 30 minutes. I effectively wasted one-and-a-half hours of my time and inconvenienced the people I was meeting with. >_<

I bring this up for two reasons:

1. Be aware of the time: Had I watched the clock more carefully, I would have realized that I should have called for help a lot sooner, rather than stumbling through and asking my 1:00 pm appointment to adjust their schedule to accommodate my screw-up.

2. Know your limits: When the crowbar refused to budge after the first three turns, I should have stopped. Instead, I stubbornly pushed ahead for another 15 to 20 minutes.

This applies to music, homework and work. You have a limited amount of time after school to get your homework and chores completed. If your troublespot is still giving you grief after three practices, without improvement, it's time to try something different.

If the "something different" doesn't work after two or three practices, then it's time to ask for help - from your parents, musical sibling or friend, or your music teacher. Don't sit there, like me, wasting time on a tire that I am physically too small and weak to change.