What About Me 7°

My passions are not a phase.

Author

Micael Balioni
December 17, 2023

WHAT ABOUT ME?

Micael

because I was born for this

You might not know this, but I've been writing my own songs since I was 12. We had a little piano at home since my dad used to play it, and one day, I began trying to learn it myself. My favorite memories in my Brazilian home are entwined with that piano. Writing songs has always been therapeutic for me, and even though my piano skills remained rather basic, music and writing were integral parts of my life — until I arrived in Italy.

Here, my new life brought fresh challenges and scarce free time. Honestly, I neither had the money nor the space for a keyboard in any of the places I lived. It was a different phase. I was here to study. Not much to blame; it was just a phase that passed, and I grew up. That's what people do, right? Wrong.

Unfortunately, I'm not alone in these sinking ship. So many young people let go of a passion or hobby when they enter university or adulthood. I have many friends who played the drums, did theater, coding, horse riding and they all put their passions aside after entering university, mostly due to a lack of time. It makes me wonder why, as we grow up, we struggle to find time for activities that were once so essential they defined us?

At my peak in 2018, I wrote 108 songs. Last year, a mere 17. I missed it. Profoundly. When I went back to Brazil, I'd rush to the keyboard to decipher the chords for those significant 17 songs. Creativity sparks creativity, and without an instrument, I just didn't write anymore. It wasn’t a phase that passed. It was me neglecting a huge part of myself. So, this year, I committed to setting aside some money each month, and last week, I finally acquired my first keyboard!!! It's still in its box because now I need to save money for the stand, but soon enough, I promise to share some photos of this beauty 😋 

To conclude: Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that life is too demanding or too chaotic to make time for ourselves. Yet, let me emphasize - your primary mission here on Earth is to revel the unique experience of being alive as yourself. And embracing your authentic self involves creating moments dedicated to your passions. Period.

Purchasing this keyboard feels like reclaiming a part of me that has been dormant for far too long, almost like an emotional reawakening. So let’s all resist the urge to outgrow our interests - those very elements that shape the core of our being — and stop relegating them to the sidelines.

Ahhhhh, and before I sign off: Merry Christmas!!!!

Micael.