Those who get the title of the blog will figure it out 🙂
On November 2, I turned 57 years old and am damn proud of it. I’m one of the few people you may come across who enjoys advancing in age. Some like to bemoan they’re getting older; I joke about it but in reality, it’s way better than the alternative. Finding out that three classmates passed away (two last month and one back in January 2025) only reaffirms my belief that you don’t know how long you have on this planet. So kick as much ass as humanly possible.
My birthday was fantastic, perfect weather, treated myself to a new guitar, and received other goodies that I can’t wait to show off soon. But while material possessions are cool, humanity is cooler. Being a good person is better. Having dignity and integrity is essential. I firmly believe that.
Yes I’m in a reflective mood and that’s good. The only way to clear a path and forge ahead in my 57th year around the sun, it’s best that I say one thing that some of you will agree with:
Most people are assholes.
Was I one? Absolutely. I’m not a victim, nor am I an angel either. I’d done my share of hurt, and paid for it dearly. I used to be a really angry person for decades, and that stemmed from being bullied as a kid. I resented a lot of people that I felt had it better than myself. But I was focusing on their material possessions and their large circle of friends. I constantly fought for validation, and it backfired. Every. Single. Time. Yet I never learned and figured “One day people will realize what jerks they are.”
I was never more wrong in my life.
Thinking back to most classmates and teachers from grammar school and high school…thinking back to past jobs and bosses…thinking back to most musicians I worked with over many years…all had one thing in common…
They were all miserable people.
Yet I was made to feel small, unworthy, and marginalized. Why? Because I shined brightly and still do. Took me MANY years to realize that I was never the problem. Again, I was/am not perfect at all. I have more issues than Time Magazine. Yet I’m aware of myself. Painfully aware.
This is not a blog that’s doom and gloom. If anything, I’m happier and more free than ever. I’m in a good place, doing exactly what I am called to do. My life is 24/7/365 music. Call me shallow or one-dimensional, that’s cool. I spent years being fed lies and put-downs, only because I truly believed in myself. Yet I had to put on the mask of “I’m not all that” just so others could feel taller. FUCK THAT. I can be self-deprecating but that’s only to make people laugh. If only people heard the same Rodney Dangerfield records that I did, then they’d get my sense of humor.
When I do my year-end wrap-up blog next month, I will go into detail about my life did a 180 in what seemed like a few months. For now I will just say that I’m an empire of one, an island unto myself, and that’s fine with me. I will always be misunderstood, questioned, scrutinized, and outcast. They all work well for me.
Being the outlier ain’t so bad.
Try it sometime.
You’ll see how authentic you can be.
