You are my sunshine

I can’t think of the last time I picked up a new skill that’s not work related - when have I learned photography, perfected a handstand, knit something? It’s been years. A friend gifted Sammy a cardboard ukelele last year and we finally put it together, to Sammy’s and my delight. It has four strings and the body is made out of cardboard but it plays like a real ukulele. There were two sample songs and four chords in the instruction book so after tuning it against our little Casio keyboard we were ready to go. 

One of the songs was “You are my sunshine” which always makes my heart constrict a little when I hear it because its lyrics are so earnest but also sad. There’s a beautiful scene from an old Simpsons episode where Lisa is feeling lonely and discouraged at sleep away camp and she’s playing over and over a recording of her mom singing this song in her dark bunk, and that gives her comfort and fortitude to keep on going. I also get weepy when I see Kermit strumming and singing “Rainbow Connection” on the banjo; I also have no idea what that song is about and can only name two songs about rainbows, including that one.

So that night I learned two chords and sang the song and then Sammy sang along and it was wonderful and I was really proud of myself. After that I kind of fell into a wormhole and looked up how to play “Smells like teen spirit” which is an entirely different vibe, but arguably still cool.