Gussing - Rite of Passage?

[IcemanLE@xxxxxxx]

You crawl before walking. You sign up at the jam session and are made to wait 
until 1:40 AM. You strike out with the opposite sex until you learn your game 
plan. You burp before you are taught to say "excuse me." 

Most of us, at one time or another, have experienced "Harmonica Lust" early 
on -- couldn't get enough -- driven by love to do foolish things. I admit to 
having been, many years ago, an Introverted Gusser and, even once or twice 
(gasp) an Extroverted One. 

My bends sounded crappy before they sounded good - Rite of Passage?

My sense of time was awful before it matured - Rite of Passage?

I gussed before I was good enough to play in a band - Rite of Passage?

I'm not glorifying "Gussing," but, even though we all agree that it is not 
desirable in the harmonica community, is it any more evil than other rites of 
passage we humans are doomed to repeat?

I've softened my reaction to the gussers I see these days, with the exception 
to those that are drunk. The drinkers suffer from a problem bigger than 
"Gussing." They just bring the harmonica into the alcohol mix.

The Editorialman