First – let me apologize for the tardy posting. I have hand-written a few postings but was in bed with the flu this weekend but didn’t get much typed out...
Earlier this week I stopped into the local music store to pickup some small things for my guitar. It has literally been 6 or 7 years since I was in the store – they have since moved to a larger and much nicer place. The atmosphere was no longer the early 1990 Kurt Cobain-ish “kick your ass if you can’t grunge out a power chord” style of store, but the contemporary western open loft style with the baraistra in the corner making espressos for everyone. Drums? Guitars? Espresso? Sheet music? It had essentially progressed from the a hole-in-the-wall store with music equipment stacked haphazardly in the corners to one with multiple rooms for each instrument type with several soundproof rooms to try out instruments in…it actually made me want to know how to play something apart from Stairway to Heaven on the guitar when showing off my latest licks.
In my misspent youth I used to play a lot of music – I had came home with a drum kit one day, much to my parents dismay (I brought them earplugs as well). I owned a few guitars, a bass, a few amplifiers and the rest of the obligatory music paraphernalia, such as a glass guitar slide and a plethora of effects pedals. Suffice to say I could hold my own when the time for talking stopped and the moment for bustin’ a groove began. I played in a few bands, and I use the word played and bands very very loosely…but sold most of my equipment to pay for the last year of my undergrad. In retrospect I think my mom was happy the drum kit went.
Several years ago if you had of asked me what I would have bought if I was suddenly independently wealthy I would have responded without hesitation a rack full of music equipment and associated electronics. Back then I lusted endlessly for a Dunlop Cry-Baby Wah-Wah pedal like there was no tomorrow. Oh it made sweet sweet sounds, and I was in musical heaven when I could take one for a wah-ride. This week while wandering around the store I saw one…and I stopped and wistfully peered into the glass case for quite awhile. It was, relative to my financial means now, easily purchasable now compared to back then but after mulling it over I moved on dismissing my thoughts of the past. Most of my music equipment is loaned out to those who play it or packed away, my one acoustic Martin guitar notwithstanding
There are several reasons I moved on from music, none of which I will get into today, but it’s safe to say my current passion in place of music is bikes and triathalon racing. I don’t own a car, just four or five bikes which are worth more than my wife’s car (and she has a fairly nice car). I say four or five because I’m always swapping parts around to build up the best bike for the upcoming race…that’s part of the journey of the ride…. With Ironman racing on my list of passions, going out for a 5 or 6 hour ride makes one of those ‘perfect’ days for me…and having a cool, sexy, light bike makes it that much better. Who says running a marathon after biking 180km isn't fun?
There was a 3 or 4 year gap between music & biking, that latter stemming from a drunken bet “Oh yeah? *hic* I can do that race and whip your ass…wanna bet on it?” Watch out because you never know where or what bottle of tequila your next passion is going to blindside you from.
As I walked out of the store I pondered the changes of passions (of the moment) in one’s life. Does our moving from one to another subconsciously move us towards being a renaissance man in understanding a multitude of topics? Or does it remove the need for an official the liberal arts degree?
“Some things change, and some things never do”
Morphous in Matrix Revolutions
Since my first illegal sole propritership blueberry business in grade 2, if I had to start to describe myself to people I would say I am or have been: a husband and father, an engineer, a knowledge worker, a swoon-ee (just
for you Sandritia), an entrepreneur, an artist, a carpenter, a musician, a teacher, a student, an Ironman, and a logical philosopher. Many on this list have come, gone, matured and mellowed over time, but there are some that have been constant. I guess music has mostly gone for me, so I didn’t really feel like I missed out when I saw the Wah-Wah perched behind the glass case glaring silently at me.
I guess the music store experience made me really ponder what will be constant in everyone’s life, and what will be temporary.
My advice: Remind yourself to constantly to fix my attention on the things which will never change, so you won’t feel you miss out on the things that do. That said I think I may go play a little guitar before bed...
Kyle MacDonald is working the barter system to turn a paper clip into a new house for him, all within 1 year. Realizing he didn't have enough money for a down payment for a house he turned to the next best thing - a red paperclip. Posting his paperclip for trade up on craigslist.org in Vancouver for barter brought two fast responses - trade for a fish shaped pen or an old fridge in Seattle; He wisely went with the pen and then moved on to a ceramic hand made door-knob, then to a Coleman stove, a 1,000 watt Honda generator, and finally an instant party kit. Today he is trading his instant party kit, complete with a Budweiser neon sign and an IOU for a keg of beer, for a 1991 Mach 1 Bombardier snowmobile.
