Beginning the Journey

Have you ever had a dream that you couldn't let go of in your mind?  Oh sure, you may have let it sit on the back burner for a while, but it eventually gets hot enough to start screaming for your attention.  Something that gnaws away at your sanity until you decide to do something about it?

Well, I have.

For me, my dreams have always revolved around making music.  From the time I was a child I can remember wanting to learn to play an instrument.  I chose guitar.  I had been playing some piano in church but quickly found out that a piano just isn't as portable as a guitar.  I wanted mainly to be able to sing and play hymns at church because I wanted to be involved in something.

I remember the drive and determination I had to succeed in learning to play.  I'd begged my grandmother (Dad's side) all year for a 2-part video series on how to play guitar that I'd seen in some catalog.  Christmas arrived and with it my guitar videos.  I was ecstatic.  Now all I needed was -- bingo -- a guitar!

Not a problem.  My grandmother (Mom's side) had a junior guitar she'd bought for my younger brother who for some reason at the time wasn't interested in learning.  It was one of those nylon-stringed guitars with a neck as thick as my thirteen-year-old forearm.

I took it home and began learning from the videos on how to play certain rhythmic chord songs like "Tom Dooley," "Amazing Grace," and "House of the Rising Sun."  I also learned how to use the "relative tuning method" of tuning the guitar.  You musician's out there know what I'm talking about.  Along with the chords and the tuning instructions, the booklet that came along with the VHS tapes also had a section on learning how to read music.  "I don't need no stinkin' music notation," I thought, "I have my ears!"

Now I regret not learning how to read music at the same time I was learning how to play guitar, and I'm just now trying to learn how to.  But at least I was able to play after a month or two of banging out chords on those old songs.  I was able to see the connection of how chords were used in songs in similar ways (I didn't know the term "chord progression" until much later).  As a result, I was able to sing and play at church and enjoy being a part of something special.

And so began my love of music and the guitar.  Now, fifteen-plus years later, I have a desire to earn a living sharing this love of music to the people of my community.  Only, I have no clue as to how to start.  Looking back on what I've written here, I see the determination to succeed in playing the guitar and I think if I could just muster up that same determination and utter tenacity I know I could experience that same joy and fulfillment again.

So this is my story.  A continuing saga (if you will) of how I will make every effort to move forward and chase my dreams until they become a reality.  No more day job, being my own boss, working less & making more, working with people, teaching (another passion of mine, though I don't know how to even start teaching guitar; I'm more of a Bible teacher), and the many other benefits that come with being an entrepreneur.

There are many things that scare me in starting up my own business, though.  But that's for another time.  For now, will you walk with me as I journey onward; trying not to look back?

E