DailySusan Humor Blog

THE UPSIDE-DOWN PIANO PLAYER

I’m excited: a girl who’s been a friend of our family since kindergarten is going to be on the Jay Leno Show Friday night with her special teenage talent that you won’t want to miss:

Laura Dooling plays the piano upside down!

Not the piano, that is. She lays backwards across the piano bench so that she’s face up under the piano, and then she brings her hands onto the keys and flawlessly plays a silly song!

Yes, I tried it, when I was sure nobody would be home to witness my humiliation. I could barely wedge my middle-aged form between the bench and the piano. It was difficult to mentally reverse the thumbs and pinkies in chords. Finally, I almost had a tune going, except my back was giving out, I looked totally ridiculous, and the dog thought I had gone insane and was licking my face. So I gave up, yielding to youthful talent and superior muscle tone.

Maybe I’ll try again after I watch her do it on national TV Friday night. I guess there will be a couple of other terrific teens doing “stupid teen tricks” on the same show, which will be fun.

Laura went to kindergarten with our Eden. They’re now seniors, and have gone to separate schools since fifth grade, but have remained friends. Laura’s mom and I shared many laughs in a yearlong “Hags On Nags” horseback riding club, with many stolen long lunches since then spent in paroxysms of laughter and friendship.

They’re just wonderful people. I hope you make a note to watch the show Friday night. No, you don’t have to sit upside down while you watch it; but it might help Laura if you hummed along.