I'm too biased, but I think yesterday's article was one of my better articles. It hasn't got a damned thing to do with music or the guitar, really. It was a very introspective and honest piece of writing that answered some of the most frequently asked questions on the meta subject of the site and my writing for it.
Also, I don't give specific numbers and don't talk about some of the things I do. I get more praise than I deserve and don't need to add to it.
I've been pretty fortunate and I'm in this position largely due to luck. Sure, there was some hard work and good choices involved - but I was just the guy who happened to be in that place, in that time, and able to make those choices. I've been given far more than I earned by way of effort and worked significantly less than many other people.
Sure, I put in 80 and 90 hour weeks, all added up. But, that's nothing compared to working a job lugging concrete forms.
I have far more than I have rightfully earned by way of work. My compensation has been very disproportionate.
And, I'm pretty damned grateful for that. I've eaten Ramen noodles because I didn't have much of a choice in the matter. I've been awash in debt. I've been hungry and not eaten because the food needed to last. I have gone without eating so that I could feed my kids.
I won't ever forget that. I will not forget where I came from and how I got here.
Several times, I almost dropped out of the graduate program for financial reasons and time constraints. The first four years were a little easier, because of the GI Bill. Those last four years were hellish.
You should write about that. I've gone hungry quite a few times myself when I was starting out in life. You are lucky and I'm glad you recognize that. I know you put in the effort, you clearly have no problem working hard. You have no problem with discipline either apparently. However in every great big pile of money their is either some luck or a crime, I've seen that enough times to know that is a rule of life. Really it is quite refreshing to know that not all wealthy people are... whats the word I'm looking for I really can't think of it, but I know there is a word for it. I've met two guys that had wealth and gave back to the people that really needed it. You happen to be one of them. The other well he passed away the day after my first daughter was born. There are not enough people like that in this world that see things for how they really are. See that we are all just people, trying to survive some of us harder than others and almost all of us in different ways.
I may write about it, someday... It's not appropriate content for either of my sites, however.
I've written about it in the past, but it's pieces scattered across the 'net and not ever centralized. I'm also user "KGIII" on a variety of sites and am fairly well known in some of those circles.
That's kind of why I get a kick out of people who doubt me or think I'm making shit up. After all, my story is pretty outlandish and hard to believe without evidence. But, I have a clear path of evidence through commentary, pictures, displays of knowledge, and having actually met the people. There's also SEC filings, academic journal publishing, and even some mentions in newspapers. I've been doxxed before, including before the word was coined.
I think they may get confused when they think I'm famous. I'm not.
I am known to many people, but I'm not famous. To many, I'm just 'that guy.' They don't even remember my name. I'm famous to like a dozen people. (Probably more than that.) Even when I'm on the stage, nobody remembers my name the following day.
I don't even bother telling the audience my last name. More than once, I've used a completely fictional name on stage. Nobody noticed. Nobody cared. I'm okay with that, because they remembered the music and they'll remember the experience. My name is insignificant compared to those. Shit, half of them won't even remember the name of the band. We're just "that band."
And, it's okay. It really is. I don't really like constant attention. When I want attention, I know how to get it. If I really want attention, I can always find a stage.
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