Sometimes those are the best paths. And it sounds like you may need a surprise or two in your life. Stay on the guitar path as long as you like. Plan not needed.

Hmmm...now I guess I get to be the grinch here. I understand why so many others on this board are telling the LW to keep playing. What I don't get is why they don't understand or even address the LW real issue. She doesn't have time to play guitar. Period. As it is she doesn't have enough time with her family. If she plays guitar as so many of you encourage her to do then she spends even LESS time with her family. It really easy for outsiders to say "stop commuting" "get another job" as if there is a great job paying her current salary with fewer hours just around the corner. Life isn't that easy. Life is about having priorities and making choices. Choosing to play the guitar, as fun as that can be, does not come before family or work. Period.

I would not be doing my job as a land use planner fighting for sustainability and Smart Growth if I did not suggest that if you lived a little closer to work, you'd have a lot more time for creative pursuits. You are spending four hours of every day commuting... that's 1/6 of your life! Four hours is plenty of time for exercise, guitar or anything else that makes you happy.

I haven't had time to read all of the posts, so apologies if this has already been suggested.

It is possible that because you are an adult your teacher is moving too fast and not concentrating on the basics enough with you. The process of learning to play a new instrument is a very structured-left brain activity. You need to practice the boring basics over and over to build muscles, calluses, and the hand/eye/muscle memory to always play an 'A' when an 'A' is called for.

You can do it, but it isn't magic--even if the sound that you eventually produce is indeed magical! You need to be methodical. Any good guitar player will tell you about the hours they spent alone in their room practicing.

From one busy music-loving mom to another, good luck!

At risk of repeating, doing it because you enjoy sitting there strumming beautiful chords is enough. It doesn't need to get better, it doesn't need to get you on stage. If you enjoy it enough for yourself, nothing else matters.

On another note (pun not intended) have you considered singing?

I'm a 50 yr old male, and have wanted to make music my whole life. I've futzed around with guitars, piano, saxophone, harmonicas, bass guitar, loop sequencing, all without much success. I never put in the practice time. But I've got all these great musical things around me and I love to get them out occasionally and futz with them.

But it finally dawned on me that what I REALLY want to do is sing. I always thought I had to learn an instrument then play and sing, but it was the singing that always really got me going. I joined a choir group and absolutely love it. When I feel music floating out of my body on a breath, it's just amazing. When I hear my voice blending with my group into a single sound, it's sublime.

Advantages of singing: Everyone's got a voice. You don't need to learn how to control it with your fingers and coordinate your hands. You can take it anywhere and practice in the car.

can you keep a guitar in your office? I work in high tech and for a while I was on endless conference calls. I would pick up a guitar and quietly strum meaningless chords. My fingers got used to finding their places without my brain getting involved, and I didn't have to fidget the way I normally would have (ADHD)

How sad that we live in a society where there is so much emphasis on our pursuits being worthwhile only if we do them well and they have some tangible benefit. What about the need for those things that feed our soul? Playing the guitar obviously does this for "mom, lawyer, musician." While some responses criticized her for not having more time for her family, it sounds like the one she has very little time for is herself, and she carves out a few minutes during lunch hours, breaks, and after the kids are in bed for a passion that obviously gives her unmitigated joy.

While I did not have time to read all the responses, I must comment on two. One encouraged the writer to continue her playing, but criticized her for spending so little time with her kids because of her long work hours and "sending them off to various lessons on weekends." Her hours are not longer than those of many working professionals, male and female, but I doubt that the response would have been the same were she male. The only lessons that she "sends them off to" that I saw were their piano lessons.

Another response stated summarily that the writer clearly doesn't have time for guitar, that her job and family must come first. Again, it sounds to me like the person there is no real time for is herself. Her job and her family get the vast majority of her time and energy. Doesn't she deserve anything?

And what about the positive lessons her children are receiving, eye-rolling notwithstanding, that she is giving by example? That it is okay to pursue a passion for the joy of it, not because you're necessarily good at it, or will make money by doing it, or gain recognition of others? That it is okay for mothers to take time for themselves and develop interests outside of their role as mother? That it is never too late to learn something new?

Finally, I have been playing most of my life-- since about 13 y/o. It's been a long time, but what I remember is how hard that first year(or even two years) were. Just finally getting the calluses so your fingers aren't incredibly painful when you play for more than a few minutes is a real accomplishment. You're learning to contort your fingers into positions that seem physically impossible. Tiny muscles are being used in ways in which they have never before been called upon. Holding the right strings down without touching neighboring strings is not an easy thing to do. It sounds to me like you are about where you can expect to be for the first year. If you keep at it, these basics will eventually become easier, and you will begin to see real progress. Be patient with yourself! Learning a musical instrument is not easy at any age! How did your kids sound when they first started piano lessons? Keep on picking, when and wherever you can. This is a gift you deserve to give yourself.