Thanks Mom and Dad.

Back in the very early 1970s, I made a very important decision. While everyone was mesmerized on singing the tunes of the day, I was well aware of the qualities of my singing voice and decided it would be best to stay in the background. You rarely heard Ringo Starr belting out tunes for the Beatles, like Ringo, I had found my spot---behind the drums and behind the singers.

It all started out for me with a blue snare drum. It sparkled when the lights hit it, and best part of all, provided me with an outlet to determine my future as a drummer. When I was in grade school, I would take my drum to band class; it had a black “pleather” cover, and as a band, we would play songs that I can’t remember but I suspect were pretty boring compared to today’s music. I would then zip up the bag and carry it home on the school bus. I was determined at the time to become the next big thing---all I needed were more drums, cymbals, and seat to sit on.

One holiday, after some significant begging and pleading, I awoke to find a black oyster “Pearl brand” drum set in our basement. I could not have been happier. I took lessons, played along with records on the record player, and became at best, a below average drummer. Actually I sucked. Along with some friends, we started a band---who didn’t---and if noise could be recorded and sold, we would have been huge. As you might guess, the market for noise was minimal and so was my drum playing ability.

The problem with playing the drums, at least what I found, was that without other instruments playing along, it was boring. For me, boring lead to less practicing, which lead to less playing, which lead to dust collecting on my cool drum set and so on. I don’t know how long it took, but the drum set finally ended up in the closet and after some time my parents found someone to buy it. Of what I recall I didn’t have much to say about it---it had been so long since they were played and I am sure guilt found its way into my head somewhere along the way. I really wanted to be a drummer, but in the end I knew it wasn’t for me. Right along with my being an NHL goaltender, Ichthyologist, or a thousand other things in life.

The photo above was taken at Brookfield Zoo this past weekend. Of course the lead singers received the most attention, but seeing the drummer in back took me back to a dream long ago. I am fine with the outcome, and am fine with not being an NHL goaltender or Ichthyologist---I have discovered my passion point and have stuck with it. For that I thank my parents for giving me the chance to try things---some were ridiculous, but they still said, “okay” and let me try.

Thanks for stopping by.