01/31/13 helping hands

last night i went out with some old friends and some new acquaintances. they, like myself, are aspiring musicians. chasing a dream down a long, emotional and seemingly impossible path. they expressed their desire to play music, embrace their camaraderie and have fun, over making large sums of money. this is a great attitude to have, because if you're getting into the business for money or ego padding, you won't last long. this meeting brought about some really interesting Q&A, as well as realizations on my part. this said band and i have known each other for a quite some time now, it would have been easy for them to just ask me to "do this" for them. (although i would have probably said no because it doesn't work like that. even if i wanted it to.) instead, we all sat down over a beer and they asked, how do WE do this*? how do we do that? they didn't ask for favors or handouts, they asked for knowledge and advice. it's very much like the old saying: "give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime." everyone seems to have forgotten this. bands constantly want this and ask for this and want me to do this... i'm not a fanbase. i'm not something special. i've spent my life preparing for this opportunity and greater ones. i'm still chasing my own dreams. i've given up nearly EVERYTHING i have for this dream and i have no regrets, but even if i COULD put someone on a fast track, why would i? don't you want to earn it? don't you want to build an empire? this goes for more than just bands. people in everyday life want everything and everything handed to them. knowledge is power. it holds keys to all the doors. if there's one thing you need in this world besides knowledge, it's imagination. it's ok to ask questions. learn. apply. don't ask for "the fish". protect and prepare yourselves. someone will always be there to help. i know i always will, just as so many were for me. dream impossible, work hard and chase those dreams, and remember it's ok to ask for advice or help once in a while. (that said, the first time you ignore advice, get burned, don't expect to keep coming back.) be respecful of people and their accomplishments and work hard for yourself. the world will work it out. much love to you all. have fun out there. laugh, learn, love and LIVE.