It feels like a lifetime ago, but it was only really high school when I stopped playing the drums every day. Fifteen or so long, hard years. I didn't want to stop playing the drums, but I was busy as all hell. Busy wrestling. Busy running. Busy working out. Busy politicking and campaigning. Busy working. Busy moving all over God's creation. Do I wish I kept playing the drums instead of a lot of those things? Yeah, I do. It wasn't all my choice though. Life goes how it goes.
So after some recent encouragement from family and friends, I made up my mind over the weekend- I was going to get on the old drum set and play again. Starting today. Starting Monday. So around 6 pm tonight, I went and set it up, and started playing. I played some fairly simple songs. I played Pearl Jam's "Not For You." I played the Stone Temple Pilots' "Interstate Love Song." I played the Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter." I played Aerosmith's "Crazy." I played Nirvana's "All Apologies." I played the Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Under the Bridge." I even went back and played "Interstate Love Song" again. I didn't play any of them particularly well. I also didn't play any of them particularly poorly. I got through. Tomorrow, I'll try again. I need to set up the full set and have all of my symbols back up to really play right, but at least this is a set.
It was kind of fun, though i'm just not all that great anymore. Maybe a month from now I'll be as good as I was in the days of the Shawnee Jazz Band, when I was in an award winning rhythm section. Or maybe I'll just have the satisfaction that I can play again, even if I still suck. Who cares. It was still fun to try again.
