Music & Me 01/19/09

It was around three o-clock sitting in my SUV, thinking about the time when I was a kid living in Cleveland, Ohio. When my mother had me get in the car with her, she wanted to show me something. Driving around for ten minutes or so, we stopped in front of this store, got out and walked in - it was a music store and the owner was a guitar teacher. I was standing in the middle of all these guitars, it was hard to close my eyes because I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. She talked to the man behind the counter then he walked me into the back room were there was two chairs and to music stands. Alone the side of the chair stood a few guitars and he ask me to pick one out. I look at him then at my mother, then back at the live of guitars. I pick a Gipson, it was cool brown with dots on the nick and it felt like it was calling out my name (John, John -pick me). After I pick it up, the owner of the store told my mother “he’s a lover of music, not just any music but all music” and my music lesson started. Man, I’d play all day after school and soon I was in a band, we weren’t that good but it kept us out of trouble and off the streets. That summer was one of the best summer of my life as a child, I got to do something I dream of doing and that was learn how to play “not good” but play the guitar. The day I said good bye to my guitar, was a sad day for me, I was twenty years old, married and we had moved to Arlington, Texas. After a conversation with my wife, I was convinced, music was not one of my enjoyments so without thinking, I said goodbye to it and now when I look back on that day “what the hell was I thinking it was an original”.

Years have passed and lessons have been learned, I may not be able to play the guitar the way I’ve always want to but that Gipson will always be with me and the music will always be part of me because now I have a positive attitude and a Keyboard to play. When I’m at my lowest and need some “me time” I play. When I first started playing, I was in Iraq and on mission with my family to find IED’s outside the wire. After every mission I would take a shower, get relaxed and play until it was time to go to sleep or my roommate would tell me to STOP lol lol, sometime the person in the room next door would bit on the wall. This prompted me to buy a headset then I could play even longer, most of the time biting away with the few notes I known or what sounded good to me. Then one weekend day playing, the door and window of my room was open for fresh as I started to play or practice what little I known. After playing three song my roommate came in and said “now that sound like a song and not a crying chicken”, there was two others soldiers outside to, popped their heads in the door and said good job. I’m not a world winning player but it sooth my pain and helps me think so one of the instruments I take everywhere I go is my Keyboard, ask my soldier and they’ll tell you the same (smile).