Shinybass journal entry 12/04/2020

It’s begging to look a lot like…

You know, i actually wanted to type ‘beginning’, yet, maybe subconsciously my fingers decided to take matters into their own hands and it became begging. Which now skews my entire journal entry and leads me down a new path. Me. That’s right – look at me. Over here. The middle-aged guy in lockdown.

Where to even start? How about with the world itself. Are we begging or beginning? It seems that every one is in ‘need’ these days, myself very much included. I wanted to start a Patreon Page to offer my musical insight to the world for a low subscription rate of $5 a month. I actually signed up in January as to get proactive. Then the bottom dropped out two months later, and two things happened – my kids were home a lot, and the whole world went and started YouTube channels and Patreon pages. So, in beginning, I ended.

But why didn’t I take the leap? Maybe I feel I don’t have a lot to offer someone, especially a bunch of musicians that aren’t exactly busy right now. My advice on how to live on a tour bus ain’t exactly relevant these days. But then I think – wait – there has to be knowledge in that shiny head of mine somewhere, right? I’m sure there is. Now my conundrum is this: Do I charge for my experience? I mean, you’ve been reading this blog for free for 2 decades. Would you pay a $1 a month for this?

That is the $1 question. I feel funny about charging for a blog, especially one that is all over the map, not unlike my thought process and one that has been here for so many years in its purest form. Now, if I charge $100 a month and sit virtually and have coffee with you, would that be worth it? Because I like coffee a whole lot, and I like to talk and tell stories and drink more coffee, and tell more stories, and paint the house, and tell more…OK. Maybe not so much coffee.

And I ask a question of those of you with small kids: Does it seem like during lockdown we’ve just been mainlining coffee for 9 months? But back to the grind…(sorry not sorry)

My thoughts on all of this are like a texting octopus operating a construction crane. I may feel like a lot is going on, but in the end, nothing will get built and the chances of complete meltdown are high. Or is that just the overall tone of our news outlets? Again, I digress…

As the world continues to turn (which, until some 3.2 billion years from now it is, in theory, supposed to), then new things will always come along and be the next great idea. Just because there are 400,000 microbreweries doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start one. Heck, Tesla showed up and showed out, smoother than a fresh jar of Skippy. There’s room for everyone at the table.

So yes, I will eventually get my page up. I will hopefully give useful knowledge to all who need it, and steer some folks in a decent direction, whether it be about life, music, Dadhood, or food. And don’t worry – this blog will be free for a long time to come. Unless you really want to donate to the Santa Claus fund, then Venmo away.

On a completely unrelated front – How are you? I mean really? Don’t feel ashamed to leave a comment or message me if you need an outlet. I’ve been up and down lately, which is hard to admit via blog because you want to come here to escape problems, not read about mine. It’s not easy for anyone right now. Just remember to breathe, smile, breathe again. We will get through all of this. In 1918 we had the flu epidemic, and you know what came next? That’s right – the ’Roaring Twenties’. So get your fedoras ready. It’s about to be a party with whiskey and big band music.

So back to the first point – it really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and it’s something we all need right now. (And no disrespect to other cultures and how the holidays are celebrated. I use Christmas as a blanket term for eating a lot and giving gifts around December). The holidays are a fine time to reflect, reset, and just take a deep breath.

Try and grab this Christmas spirit that’s starting to float around, concentrate on helping someone out this year, and rally around a worthwhile charity. These are all great ways to lift up, and in more ways than one. My wife brought home an amazing foster puppy over the Thanksgiving holiday, and as much of a pain as it was, he was a great boy and he was able to be with a family for a couple of days over the holiday. (Not like dogs have a calendar, but the Humane Society clears the shelters so the staff can have a break too.) Small acts of kindness will add up.

Do good people. It’s the only life we get, and maybe the only chance we have.

Again, hang in there and I will see you all very soon in some form or fashion.