Abandoning Fame
I wonder when we decided to abandon our high school dreams where we were all going to become rich and famous. I guess it was a small town dream. We all grew up together and we were amazed by the talents each of us had developed. It was like we were all lumps of clay and we molded our talents and help mold the talents of one another.
Some of us were writers, musicians and artists. Some were athletes and others were just damn clever. Sure we expected little to come from some. We knew who was going to spend their adult lives in prison. However, for the most part several of us were stellar in our talents and we were going to be rich and famous. We were big frogs in a small pond.
Eventually high school ended and we went to college where we became small frogs in big ponds. We saw there were people there that had big city talent and we were deflated. I don’t know of anyone I grew up with that achieved fame. I’m sure any grotesque wealth came from a trust fund and not from any particular talent.
We moved on and settled into our personal lives of mediocrity and fell out of touch with one another. However I bet that we all think back fondly. I would love to strap on a Gibson SG Special and walk out onto a stage with Russ, Chris, Tom and Tim again. I’d like to plug into that old Ampeg amplifier again and slap the pick on the G string with my left hand way up the fret board bending the string nearly to its breaking point. That is when life is golden and the scent of fame and fortune is in the air.
posted by The Guy Who Writes This at 4:00 AM
7 Comments:
Imagine how limited and small our lives would be if we hadn't had those big dreams way back then?
Get together with those guys now (if possible) - life can still be golden.
Now I know why you looked so familiar... You're really Jerry Garcia, aren't you?
An accurate description of life for those of us who grew up in small towns, protected from the big world. I started school and granduated 12 years later with the same 22 kids.
Know what you do?
You strap it on and go for it!
After a couple of lifetimes I pulled my stuff out of the closet and did just that and it was the most uplifting and precious thing I ever did and am still doing.
I'll jam with you, just call me 505-325-1844
Beth, U wonder if I would have been better had I lived in a bigger town with more input of if I would have been demoralized.
Darev, that photo isn't me, but it looks like my former SG.
Linda, Living a small town life for all those years was worth waking up talentless one morning.
Patrick, Thank you. That is a kind offer. Sadly I sold the SG over 30 years ago. The Ampeg had vacuum tubes would vibrate out of their sockets, and has been buried in a land fill longer than Jimmy Hoffa. I would need to practice seriously for at least six months before subjecting anyone to the noise that I would make. Maybe I will dust off the Ovation and I'll get back to you.
About the same time I put my gear away as well and seriously, didn't touch until about 13 years ago when when I started playing again.
I had forgotten what a therapeutic thing it was.
Patrick, what style do you play? Just so I know what to bone up on.
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