CNF Writing Exercise: Exercise on Rhetorical Techniques

My first guitar. A simple and unassuming mahogany brown guitar equipped with white tuning pegs served as a friend, confidant, and mentor.

Through its wide body, and rusted strings I played my first chords and soon, I played along my first song. This guitar was a witness to how I was able to be in touch my emotions for the first time, its neck was a hand to hold and its body was a friend to hug in times of joy and distress. This guitar was a witness to my first venture into falling madly in love with someone, where each chord strummed and pluck amplified the joy and elation I felt. This guitar also saw the painful falling out with that person, where each string that dug into my calluses helped me endure the pain that dug into my chest. But ultimately, this guitar set me on the path to finding my passion and calling. With each practice session, this guitar helped reveal more parts of myself to me, it helped me form my dreams of where and how I want to contribute to the field of music in this country.

I have since retired that guitar and moved on to other instruments and genres of music. But with each new piece, each bow stroke, and each piano key struck I still go back to the lessons I learned from that simple and unassuming mahogany brown guitar that my mother had bought from a local in Cebu for not less than 80 pesos more than 20 years ago. And for that, I am eternally grateful.