Years ago I was given a small recording device. The gift was meant for dictation. The idea was that I could carry the recorder in my pocket and when inspiration struck I could quickly dictate said inspiration for transcribing later.

I never used the thing.

I'm a note taker. I write things down. The gift went unused.

However, one day the recording devise landed on the piano bench.

Now, before I go further I must establish that I've always had a nice singing voice. No one ever told me that specifically, I just instinctively knew it. I love singing hymns, I read music, I know timing. All of that talent and ability combined must yield a good singer. It's only logical.

Since I've always known that I was a good singer, I've never held back when singing in a group. Confident, and unrestrained, that's me, somewhere in the midst. Some talent goes unrecognized and my singing ability has never been recognized - so I've done all this singing amongst others, never solo.

And even though in school, I knew I was a good singer, I never tried out for choir or for the musical. At this late date, I can't really explain why. But by not showing up for those auditions I suppose I went undiscovered. That might explain why it was never established that I have a nice voice.

And American Idol? Well, let's just say I've never had the need for that kind of validation.

So there I was, one day, alone playing hymns on the piano and singing out like the audience was calling for more. Granted, there was no audience, but let's overlook that detail. And there was the little recording devise that I had never put to use. And, well, what the heck.

So I turned on the recorder, and filled the room.

Now, no crystal was shattered that day. But I suspect some area wildlife relocated and the cows on the next farm over winced a bit. Anyway, the singing was recorded for posterity. Then the tape was quickly hidden away.

I'd like to think that the quality of the recording devise was inferior. I'd also like to think that maybe I made some mistake in operating the thing. Anyway, it seemed to record the piano just fine - a little flat maybe, but my voice, well it's hard to describe how it sounded to me.

Let's just say that up until that point I thought I was a good singer.

The funny thing is that hearing how awful I sounded on that recorder. well it didn't change anything.

That's how much I like to sing. I like it enough to ignore my own shortcomings.

These days, I've decided that I simply like to sing. And so I still do. When the hymn number is announced, and the intro has been played, I sing out, because I love the doing.

When we sing with others, there's something magic that goes on. All anyone does there in that moment is contribute, compliment, support, lend, join in. Maybe later in the review or the critique there is a determination that something can be better or different, but that is after the fact. When we sing together there is a moment and it is powerful.

And when I go solo, it's harmless. And if the cows go trotting away in the other direction, well maybe they were too close to the property line to begin with.