Was it four?

... fifty-seven, fifty-eight... fifty-nine... sixty!..

...

Was it four???

I yelled the question at my husband who was in the kitchen.

He didn't remember, but I continued. ... eighty-three, eighty-four...

I was counting the seconds and a few things were hitting my mind. Should I think? Should I stop thinking? Breathe? No, don't breathe. Ok, just breathe and count. Aloud? ..one hundred and twelve, one hundred and thirteen... Just don't think about the pain, and don't give up. I started to feel my arms, the heat in them... the muscles are still resisting but it's the mind that should win the game. My cheeks are burning too. I see on the display of the digital clock placed in front of me hitting the third minute - as I have lost the count, but for a few seconds more I still resist. I don't know why, but I decided to let my body reach the floor and relax my muscles after holding this plank.

In the end, I got the answer: Yes, Margot Robbie held her plank for 4 minutes and 10 seconds. That's nice and admirable, though I am also happy with the shorter time I can do this exercise. I started with 15 seconds a few weeks ago and increased the time day by day.

Why would numbers matter at all? Why would one number make any difference?

Hmm, yes, they are helpful sometimes as we are measuring things with numbers. Years, dates, seconds, notes, distances, heartbeats or even temperatures in these warm days. You can add here what you want but I am getting back to the topic of music.

There is this little composition, Passacaglia by Johan Halvorsen (1864-1935). He picked a theme composed by Georg Friedrich Handel and upon the repetitive bass (the part I play with my left hand) composed variations on that same theme (the part I play with my right hand). That's quite an easy one (no, my student would completely disagree with this as he can't put together both hands in this piece. He stopped today and said it's hard and he doesn't like it anymore 😆) but you have to count how many times the theme appears not to get lost when you match it with the bass. No, I didn't count when I recorded it. And I suggest you don't do it either as maybe there is one variation that I (on purpose) missed out lol.

Plank, piano, numbers. Counting, breathing, Margot Robbie. What was this post about? 😂

Ah, yes, Passacaglia 🎶

▶️ 3Speak