clad in your dream suit
Sometime today I received an invitation to become a fan of a band on facebook. The name sounded familiar and was actually the album title that some high school friends of mine chose for their full EP release in early 2003. Sure enough, two of those guys from the band are the rockstars I befriended throughout high school when I knew them.
Kenny Kominic, the man who developed a most refined percussion musicianship during his high school years, not only in himself, but also in his underclassmen progeny, seems to have focused on vocal ability in the intervening years. Ryan Johnson, who introduced me to Goldeneye and bb guns, hasn’t lost the impressive guitar-string-induced callouses of years gone by. The new band, The Chuck Shaffer Picture Show, is both a good listen and, to their credit, marketable. From Savory’s “Wait A Minute” semi-hit, at least to us 18-year-olds, to The CSPS’s MySpace tracks - they have come a long way.
Remarkably, Kenny and Ryan did not significantly waver from their goals of pursuing music at higher levels. In contrast, I struggle even keeping up a hobby. Through elementary, middle, and high school, I attempted to play some rec league sports, namely basketball and soccer. Yet, one-by-one, those interests dwindled until my senior year in high school when I was still playing basketball, but really only for fun. I couldn’t shoot a free throw to save my life. In high school and even much before, I was adept with guitars and played daily. Those musicianship cares waned long ago. Some time passed from that loss before I got into cycling in the beginning of 2007. The scheduling freedom of this past summer allowed me to immerse myself in the activity and then eventually consider it on a competitive level.
I realize now that cycling isn’t something I will do with any grande success. It will be a life-long hobby that I will enjoy from the daily commute to the pounding weekend rides of my later years. I’m too old to pursue a “new thing” and realistically expect it to bear fruit; people with talent outside the usual educated-into-you realms nurture those abilities when they are still in adolescence. As time goes on, we are less willing to take risks for fear of failure and for fear of negating our expensive educational experiences. Also, as time goes on for people interested in athletic activities, our bodies degenerate making us less capable of competing with the kids who started pounding their bones and muscles long ago, according to their parent’s demands. It’s no wonder that university is so frantic and academically challenging - the level of skill and proficiency that a university student gains in 4 years (assumably) is carefully and patiently gathered by athletes and musicians who began their training at much younger ages. When the time comes for companies to select their new hires, everyone is just as well trained - accountants, cyclists, engineers, basketball players - but the athletes and performers have more confidence in their well-grounded abilities compared to those who just raced through 4 years trying to discover something marketable in themselves.
What Kenny and Ryan have done, and are doing, is exemplifying their commitment to one goal that was first planted in their early youth. Despite the early disasters of their first stage performances and the seemingly kind socialization to get real and focus on their higher education, they both maintained their passion for music and developed their skills patiently, patiently waiting for a time to shine.
Well, since high school, the internet has given just about everyone a time to shine and The Chuck Shaffer Picture Show is taking advantage of the opportunity. May it go with them well. I can’t imagine the many dedicated hours they have intently practiced and sought greater musical perfection. It’s such a great story when the friends of your youth finally make it to the big time. Bravo.
March 24th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
“too old” What are you 23-24 years old? Wait till you crack into 30+, then come say too old for cycling. Even then, it’s not too old. There are 30+ guys that somehow go domestic pro even though they start late in life. Its called training, dedication, and then more training & dedication.
Wise man once said, you are only as old as you think you are. Age is only a number built by man, young in the mind, young in the soul.
Now get out there & train on that bike young man!