“Embarrassment is improvement’s biggest enemy.”

– Ryoko Kui, Japanese manga artist

“Why did you stop?” she asked. “Why did you stop singing?”

My granddaughter, Alexis and I had been driving around the city with the music cranked, singing along with a CD in the player. Admittedly, neither of us would have been a contender on America’s Got Talent, but with the music blasting, we delivered an impressive harmony.

When I pulled up at an intersection with several other vehicles, I immediately turned down the music and stopped singing. Perplexed, Alexis looked at me, then reached over and twisted the volume knob. Music blasted, and a couple of people in surrounding vehicles turned to stare. I promptly turned the volume back down a...

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