I took band in school
for 3 years.
I played a cornet, which
if you don't know,
looks like a trumpet
that's been mashed in.

I was a decent player.
I played because I liked it
and I liked music.

each instrument was divided
into parts.
or seats.
or something:
first flutes, second flutes,
first trumpets, second trumpets,
sometimes thirds.
what this meant was that those
playing first anything
played the better pieces of music
and everything else was basically
back-up.
however, one could improve
one's standing by making a challenge.
a second trumpet could challenge
a first trumpet for the first's seat
and then they would go into a room
with the band director and each play
for him and he would decide who did
the better job.

I found myself in just such a situation.

normally, I was playing music
for second or third trumpets
and I was fine with that.
but somehow, perhaps by request
of the band director, I was playing
against Billy, a first trumpet.

somehow, I won his seat.
although I recall being
rather proud about that,
I don't remember being
especially excited about it.

not long after that, Billy
challenged me to a rematch.
you see, whereas I was playing
just to be able to play,
Billy really lived for it
and, I think, saw it as a
sort of status symbol.
this is not to say I thought
he was a jerk.
I actually thought he was
okay,
but he just had a need to
be better at the trumpet,
a need I didn't have.

so we went into the room
with the band director
and we played
and this time
he won
and we went back
to where we belonged.

I don't remember when this
exactly happened, but
I'd be willing to bet
it was the last year
I took band.