Peter was born with no arms from birth. He never had the opportunity to do something by himself. He was completely dependent out of his family, friends and colleagues. His obstacle doesn’t destroy his plan to be… a guitar player.
Peter was born in 1965. He was very unhappy for a long time, because he couldn’t do many things in his life by himself: eat, play his lovely basketball game and play … guitar. He remembered his childhood very well: “When I started my primary school I was always afraid. Many children were laughing at me, because they were writing something on the paper, but not me. I just listened and tried to memorize every detail that the teacher said. When I didn’t know what he is talking about, I usually asked for explanation. My classmates never asked; they always wrote their notes.
Peter thought all the time about his past. He lived with his past. He reminded: Every weekend our school had a basketball game. Many people came to watch our school team. I loved to watch it too. I like to practice too, but with no arms it was impossible. This game needs arms to play. Finally I agreed with my illness and started to watch this game only for fun.
One of the biggest dreams I had is to play a guitar. My mother is a musician and she plays on the piano. My father hasn’t any music talent. He always repeated, that he has a firs level to be a musician that means: “If is any music around me – he usually said – I hear it…” I always smiled and answered to him: ”It is not enough”.
Finally I was very sad and unhappy for my family, friends, myself and hall world. I lost hope for a better life, because I didn’t know how to change it. All day I watched TV programs without any idea what and why I am watching. I just watch with no attention what to do. I changed the TV channels programs every second looking for something new I don’t know. I have a family plan TV, that mean is about 200 channels programs to watch. Every 10 minutes I reviewed this all channels and… started again. It was boring and frustrating every day.
My friends were calling me every day. They asked me what I am doing. They were angry at me when I didn’t answer for their calls. My family was angry for me too, because I didn’t talk, just watched TV.
One rainy day I was watching TV per 12 hours. It was to late and finally I slept in TV room. I remember this night very well. It was 3 a.m. in the morning when I opened me eyes. Everybody in my house are sleeping, except me. I turned on TV. I watched one incredible man who plays the guitar. It was amazing. He was playing one of my favorite songs with passion on his face. He was very serious and engaged. Everybody sad, that is nothing special with this. Many people play on the guitar well. But he was special, because he plays on the guitar with his… legs. He was with no arms like me. This obstacle was the beginning for him to be professional musician. I decided to do the same with my life. I wont to be guitar musician, I sad, the guitar musician without arms.
First, I talked about my project with my parents. They really cared about my future, but my mother was very realistic, she sad: ”You know, I don’t wont to be rude and so serious, but you need to know, that this will be very hard work to do…” The next day, my father bought me my new instrument. I was so happy. He didn’t give me this guitar to my hands, but he put this instrument on the floor. Everybody cried and it was the amazing moment for me too… I asked myself: “Can I do it?” One part of me said: “Be realistic, you are handicapped man…”, but the second said: “Yes, of course, you can do it!”
Twenty years later, Peter had a great moment in his life. He played his firs concert for many people in Rome. The audience listened him, cried and gave him applause, when he was playing his own music and singing songs. Singing was easy for him, because his has a good voice and he has a good memory. He remembered many things from his class. At the end of this concert, he said to the audience: “This night when I saw the man with no arms playing at the guitar, was the real night I goes from darkness to the light. This night totally change me life”. Today his family, friends and many people are glad to hear his music and play. He looks as a very happy man.
