Significance Between The Lines...

Second entry time, where to go from the first. The joy of writing to an empty space that very few people will ever stumble upon is the complete openness. I could ramble in any direction and just amuse myself in the future at what comes forth. I guess I will go back to music. It's my rock, the steadfast addiction.

It's been a long time since I started as a music journalist. I use that term loosely, since I was never compensated beyond a few dollars here and there, but by definition, that is what I was. It seems so long ago that I was a kid taking a $10 point and shoot to punk shows and trying to get anything we could put with a review. The early days of the zines and website are embarassing by my standards of today, but at the time, it was awesome.

This is where we go back to the topic before. Yesterday. Those days were so new and everything was exciting. I was nervous before shows, constantly checking everything. Before I quit a couple weeks ago, I never checked anything, felt bored most of the time I was covering shows and pretty much felt like I was burdened to do it. I had lost that fire I had so many years ago. I had seen behind the curtain and realized musicians weren't any better than me. In fact, they were kids or adults like those I've known my whole life. They're just playing music to pay their bills...and few can do that.

I think the personalizing of the music world kills a lot of that. We see their flaws, we see the problems and we're not as much seeing those we're amazed by or those we respect, we're seeing someone we've developed an unhealthy obsession with. That's why all these tabloids harass people to no end. We become the scorn ex-girlfriend or the estranged family member role to ourselves. We feel this connection when there is nothing to be had.

While I can say I've never felt that way, as a society, we have that happen. All of the people I've wanted to meet have been out of musical admiration. I could care less who these people have been/are fucking, what their kids like, etc. When I covered Aerosmith last week, Tommy Lee walked out near where I was sitting. I looked over and we made eye contact, he said "Hey!" so I replied "Hey..." then he was gone. I wasn't thinking "Wow, that's the dude who made a porno with Pamela Anderson" or anything else, I just thought it was cool to share a word with one of the top drummers in rock music. It would be like meeting anyone who leads their field, you have to be a bit happy to share even just one word with them.

Admiration is completely different from fanaticism (it's a word to me!). When I was a kid, I played football. I went to charity basketball game where the Oilers played the Galveston Fire Department in basketball. I got to meet William Fuller. While everyone was asking how much money he had, etc. I just wanted to pick up some tips on getting through the offensive line and picking up a couple sacks. Instantly, he lost his bored face and pulled me to the side and showed me some moves. He was really gracious and was excited someone was there to learn from him.

That stuck with me forever. If I'm going to meet someone who does something I respect, I shall be kind towards them and ask them things that they care about. I'm not worried about their celebrity, I want to know what they did to become the best at what they do. Of course, on the flipside of the coin, I met Haywood Jeffries that night and he was a "celebrity" as they come. He was dismissive, had two girls who appeared to be hookers on his arm and signed 5 autographs before saying his hand was tired. Jeffries just showed up for halftime...he couldn't be bothered to play the game.

That also stuck with me. You can't be dismissive to people. Sure, sometimes people ask dumb questions, you should at least listen and give some sort of response. Even if it's to say it was a dumb question. You should always take time.

Where does that tie into everything? I guess in my mind, if I ever achieve any sort of notoriety, I would never dismiss those who support me...nor those who don't. If I'm worth their time, they're worth mine. I just think that's the way life should be.