The Beginning

What better place to start than at the beginning. If we're honest, we all probably have some goals in life we hope to accomplish before it's too late. Yet most of us have no real plans on how or when this is going to happen, relying instead on our one day mentality. Simply hoping that one day we'll have the time, energy or money to get around to it.

Once a guy reaches a certain age, he can be pretty sure the Chicago Cubs won't be calling him to play second base. The next best way to experience major league baseball is at a Sports Fantasy Camp. While not my idea of a good time it is, for others, a way of fulfilling that dream...but only if they request a weeks vacation, pay the $3495 and buy a round trip ticket to Mesa, AZ. My point is, we generally need to take action in order to accomplish anything outside our routine here on planet Earth.

Since no one sets out early in life to experience the mundane or unpleasant (seriously, does anyone think one day they want to have a colonoscopy for the sheer pleasure of it?) it's safe to say these bucket list items would be things we think we might enjoy. If it's important enough to be a fun or exciting goal, dream or once in a lifetime moment then isn't it important enough for us to take action to make it happen?

One of my bucket list items is learning to play the guitar. Just mentioning taking up the guitar to others causes me a slight bit of embarrassment. Why? I don't know, maybe because it's a personal desire with no clear benefit. Maybe it's because 12 year olds across the country have already mastered it and I barely know a capo from a pick. At the age of 50 I certainly have no aspirations of a career on stage but I still have that inner teen wanting to pull out a 6 string and strum a few songs. Besides, it's cheaper than bagpipes and no kilts are involved.

What's this have to do with starting at the beginning? Well, this past week I took action to see where this guitar journey takes me. If you care to follow along, then here's where we start.

Gregg