Depressing or Not

The human mind and body is quite fascinating to me. It seems that even when all things are on the up and up one can feel like complete garbage. I experienced this yesterday and most of today. There is nothing to be depressed about, yet I am. As I get older I can feel it coming and try to prep myself for it so that I don't rely on the emotions tied to it. I know I will come out the other side fine because I've done it over and over again. But being in it is no fun.

On a lighter note, my teeth are jacked up. I haven't been to the dentist for a couple years now with moving and having no insurance so it's getting to be that dreaded time. I can just feel that they need attention. Metal objects scratching bone, drilling on nerve endings...not overly enjoyable, but necessary.

I'm learning "Have You Met Miss Jones" (Joe Pass Version) and it has been very good for me. It is the type of song that keeps interest with key changes, interesting chord movement and blazing licks. Thanks Joe.

The Better Gene

When I was 9 I started taking piano lessons at the local music shop. I didn't care much for reading music but I did it because I wanted to be better at playing. I could already play the piano by ear much better than I could read the music. I was writing songs (simple ones) even before I started taking lessons. I eventually quite lessons because of finances if I remember correctly. At that time I was 12 or 13. At age 19 I started playing guitar and devoted myself to it. And my life is what it is because of that decision. There are obviously much better things that have happened to me over the years; my wife and kids being the greatest.

Since a young age I've always had a deep longing to be better at whatever I was working on at the moment. It has never been about competition between myself and other people or to puff up my ego. It's just part of me. It's more of a competition between myself and myself. I think it's an inherited "gene" that makes me this way. It has it's positives for sure. It has allowed me to become great at my job and do lots of really cool stuff. It is certainly tiring. It even creeps into my off time. I can't just simply beat a video game. I must conquer every aspect of it, find all the hidden secrets, beat the hardest level, it becomes work. In my guitar playing I must learn the most complex piece I can handle at the time. Measure by measure I play every note like it occurs on the recording or the sheet music. After I learn it I must figure out how and why it sounds like it does related to theory. I don't even care if I ever perform the song. I will sometimes share it with my friends, more so out of joy of the music than anything.

It certainly comes in handy with my job. Since it's a professional field one has to be good to keep business coming. I am able to learn a lot about any given part of my field if it hits the mark in my brain that says "go for it". I found I have little control of what it is that takes my mind to that place. It seems to be, that when I focus on something or get a good idea, my brain decides for me to either go on without being over excited or to take the thing and run with it. So I try to be selective of what I put in front of me or what I think about for extended periods of time. I have little control of what will consume my time with betterment. The older I get the more I recognize the signs that it's coming and so I've learned to shut off the process early if I catch it. Sometimes I realize I'm in the middle of something that is a waste of time and I'm learning to break the course with certain activities or distractions. Other times I recognize that it will be good for me to learn or do whatever it is that has caught me and off it goes. Hopefully one day I'll have the rhythm down.

Since opening the shop we've been through a lot of changes and unique challenges. We have so far conquered each obstacle and things have always returned to smooth operation. We are currently facing an interesting and quite positive hurdle. Tons of work! In the beginning I would never have imagined the amount of work that is now in our shop or on our list of things to do. It is a little stressful because we have many customers relying on us to get the work finished on time. I couldn't be more pleased with the positive buzz and the great loyal customers that we have. Clay has been a huge help to us and hopefully he'll be able to work more and more until we can all make enough to keep food on the table. There is nothing like running your own business. The amount of time required to keep it going is off the charts. Websites, product development, repairs, sales, inventory, customer satisfaction, classes, the list goes on and on. Yet these are the things that keep our shop growing in popularity and keep interest with those who visit frequently. This should be a great year in Guru land. Thanks everybody.

Family and Guitars

Time has literally slipped away this year for me. I would venture to say the reasons are that we added a new family member, new business, teenage daughter, and so on. I certainly could not do it without Lisa. I also would be in deep water if it wasn't for my business partner Howard. It all seems heavy some days but I couldn't be more happy. For the first time in my life I am at a place where I am able to stay emotionally balanced in tough situations versus being all out angry or completely shut down. I can't attribute the change to any one thing.

Before having a family and children I always imagined the beginning stages of parenthood being the most difficult (changing diapers, poor sleep, loss of freedom, etc.) But as I've raised the kids I realize I was quite off in my thinking; although in 10 years I'm sure I'll have yet another view. At the moment I would say having a teen in the home is a big challenge. I feel fortunate because Serenity is really a great person but the level of drama and sneakiness is tough for me.

This day and age is also very different from when we were teens. One thing that I am experiencing is that facebook allows me way more information about Serenity's life than my parents ever had about me. Some would say it's good...but you haven't read the things I have. I would imagine a lot of parents are experiencing the same. I know I'm not saying anything new but it is extremely hard to have your child that you've raised and helped through the years treat you or your spouse with such blatant disrespect. We love her more than she can understand at the moment.

Sara is doing well. She loves Serenity so much and I'm really enjoying this age of innocence. I am trying not to let this time with her just slip away and then come to realize shes grown up, doesn't want to be at home anymore, and curses me behind my back when she doesn't get what she wants.

The store is going well. Business seems to be picking up a little going into the Christmas season. We just had our first student recital and it went very well. I was so impressed by them. They all worked hard and did a great job. Thanks to all the Guru Guitars fans out there. Keep spreading the word!

I hope you all have a great Christmas. I'll see some of you soon.

Wood

I have a book that I reference from time to time when I'm in my wood shop. I like it because it was written before I was born and it lays out, step by step, how to build an acoustic guitar with mostly hand tools. It has a lot of good ideas that I like and it's quite large so I always learn something new when I look at it. Nowadays there are tons of luthier supply places that have tools to make the job easier and faster. Sometimes I don't want it to be faster. Building a guitar is special and it should take time and energy. The energy is certainly felt when you pick up a hand made instrument. That being said I do try to streamline my building as to not waste time. There are certain tasks that I have jigs for because they are very time consuming and I do have to make a living. But, when I can, I switch back to a chisel or knife. Slicing a thin layer here and there to get the shape I want is just so rewarding. Plus being able to make a guitar using a hand saw, chisel and knife is freakin' cool. I have a little ways to go before I can do the whole thing with that few tools. One day I'd like to.

Wood is truly an amazing organic material.

Quick Post

I had my first sick day from Guru Guitars today. It sucked. I have a lot to do. I'm starting feel better but you know how it tends to linger a little at the end. I'm glad it was only a days worth.

Sara cut her two top teeth recently. She's been a ball of fire; takes after Grammy.

Serenity said that I was the best dad today. It made me teary eyed.

I am so thankful for everyone who has been a part of my life yet I seldom do anything about it. If you are reading this then you are one of those people.

Shysters and Posers

During the short time I've been alive I've found, for the most part, that people choose to do the right thing when faced with tough decisions. It seems as though many folks who would never consider themselves to be spiritual seekers or religious tend to do the moral thing and be honest in their daily lives. I'm always reminded of The Brothers Karamazov when this observation arises because there are some themes in the writing that suggest: people have no reason to be moral when god, karma, judgment, etc are absent from their belief system; and if there is no god than there is no one to answer to. But we still have to answer to fellow man. Even without a spiritual belief system a person must deal with humans on a daily basis. Therefore we must treat each other with respect and courtesy. We must be honest and help one another.

But there are some...the shysters, who have no problem ripping of their neighbors and burning bridges with gallons of gasoline. In the end they reside on a isolated island with no friends and no enemies because they are alone; only by their own doing. It makes me a little sad because they can be kind and nice and maybe even looking for redemption. I deal with them regularly in the business I'm in. It seems as though they often try to redeem themselves by doing something unexpected and regular. But once the arrow is released it cannot be taken back, so I keep up a guard.

The posers do much less harm but still make you wonder; what the hell? In this day and age there are so many avenues to find a person and check up on their validity. But more than that, a person's work shows all. If I claim to be a luthier and the guitar I build is a honk of garbage would anyone call me a luthier? Reading Heidi's comment about people lying about their Pilates experience to get into her class made me think of some things I've experienced recently. Hence, the posers section of today's blog.

Then you have the people who manage to be both at once, which is really a bummer.

The redeeming part is that the vast majority of people I deal with on a daily basis are honest and genuine. That being said we are all messed up in some way. We have our issues, our shystiness, and our insecurities. Thankfully someone has redeemed us, loves us and reaches out to us; all we have to do is look for him.