Thanks Ed & Moons. All you guys are great. What I didn’t mention is that in doing/watching Challenges & AAP fixits is how really good the players here are. They have really put in the time and effort. Very inspiring and eye opening. The only inspiration I can relate is that I have been totally guitar driven since I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in February 1964. I was brought up in a music environment. My mom was a voice major in college and both my parents brought me up on classical music, opera, the New Christy Minstrels, Cubby Checker and so on. So there were earlier guitar influences. Music has always given me chills.
Obviously life gets in the way over the years and so do other diversions- I got seriously into ham radio in 2007. Fun/challenging but I sorta wish I had been doing more guitar. But as internet and bandwidth improved, online guitar really became attractive. After a few years of dedicated practice, I found BGU. And this is the space that has really challenged me.
The advice or perspective- I’m never frustrated with the process, I try to measure myself but I don’t compare myself, if I don’t feel I can give it 100% I put it down for a while (this is rare but important), I keep records of my efforts, I really congratulate myself when I feel I’ve reached an achievement, I realize that I always need to put myself out of my comfort zone (I know I need to step that up here but I’m aware and working on it), and I enjoy helping and encouraging my local peers as much as I can. I am never ashamed that my goal is to be the best guitar player in the world (I’m also pretty realistic). With all the work, I have to let it be fun.
Cheers, John