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I play the piano. When I tell people that I play the piano, the reaction is "Oh, I can play too! Here, let me show you how I do "Chopsticks"!" Mind you, I perform in festivals and give concerts and sell recordings - I'm far beyond the "Chopsticks" level. But for most people, "playing the piano" means plinking out "Chopsticks" or the like.
Do I care? Not particularly. The difference between me and the person who plays "Chopsticks" comes out when I sit down to play. So what if I can't claim the "cool" factor? I don't care about the "cool" factor - I care about making music.
If you like running, run. If you like running fast, run fast. And if you're not doing the marathon for the joy of running, for the pleasure of moving fast, for the pleasure of muscular exertion, for the "runner's high", then you're doing it for the wrong reasons and should leave it to those to whom running really is a joy.
