It’s 1:40AM I have been trying my ass off to figure out this guitar chord structure. I can’t get my hands right, my fingers don’t move fast enough and the tips are starting to hurt from all the friction.
My roommate, stirred by all the out of tune guitar playing, offers to teach me what he knows. “Maybe we can jam together.” He says. I laugh it off.
“Maybe.” I reply. He gets a glass of water and returns to his bedroom. I try for a few more minutes then shake my head. I zip up my old battered hoodie, put the guitar in the nice felt lined case I bought for it, and carry it out to the dumpster. I toss it in. For good measure I bang it around a few times first. It is a rather nice case. The guitar is just fine. I put it on the ground and stomp it. I toss the wreckage in.
I bought that instrument less than 24 hours ago.
I learned something important though. There was no way I was going to be able to do anything meaningful with that thing. It was obvious. I didn’t have the raw talent. I didn’t have the gift from God.
When people say all you have to do is work hard at anything and you can achieve it. They’re lying to you. They’re lying to you for ironically the same reason I am telling you the truth. You see if you work hard at something, the people encouraging you, will most likely see that you aren’t attempting to one up them in their own endeavors. Nobody wants more competition for recognition and achievement in their field. There’s a reason the only professional skateboarder you’ve ever heard of is Tony Hawk, but the skateboard industry has had its best year in decades(Probably, I don’t know, I’m not statistician, figured that one out in the 7th grade).
So what’s my truth? Well if it isn’t obvious by now, I need all you goddamn posers and wannabes out of my way in my field, and back into the fields of those whom encouraged you to “follow your dreams.” I’m tired of all the goddamn talentless hacks breathing for what little air there is to be found in our microscopic terrarium of containment. “Oh you think you have a pretty unique perspective on growing up because your mom cut your sandwiches into hearts?” Get the hell out of here with that noise. You’re an average human at best, and an even worse writer, because you can’t even dress up your true life experience with any interesting storytelling about it. You sound like the AP news, but for boring people.
The fact is, if you have a talent, odds are you’re gonna know quickly. Mozart knew, Babe Ruth knew, and Van Gogh knew.
So I urge you to try, try as many as you can, but dump it just as quickly as you found it, if you’re not doing anything remarkable. If you have to work hard to be good at something, chances are you aren’t ever gonna be good, and it will eventually fade. Talent is forever though.
That’s why tomorrow I’m heading back to Guitar Center to try my hand at the saxophone, and if that falls through, I have a wood carving lesson the next day.
