Re: [Harp-L] Gifted Players, Who I Play For

["Fernando Bresslau" <fernando@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have the impression that I am the only one that understood Will's comments
from another perspective.
I'll tell you a non harmonica story, and maybe you might read Will's
comments again.
I mean, lots of very well intended points of view which I agree with in this
thread, but I feel that they are going in the wrong direction.

When I was a teen, probably around 14, my parents lived separated and my
mother had a difficult time taking care of we 3 kids. There were no big
problems, but I knew that Christmas and birthdays wouldn't be very exciting.
She always tried to have good ideas for cheap gifts, but often I, as the
eldest, would have to have lots of understanding for the situation.
Then one year she was able to buy a very, very nice mountain bike during a
garage sale very, very cheaply. Since I already had a mountain bike, this
would go to my kid brother, who is about 5 years younger.
Well, it was actually a much too big bike for him, and I really wanted such
a bike, mine didn't stand no chance against it. I had bought mine myself,
and couldn't afford much, of course.
I don't know if I cried on Christmas' eve, or if I came close to it. I guess
I did. I was simply torn. I was happy that my mother had had the opportunity
to secure such a great gift, and it was very clear to me that my brother was
the one who should get it. And I told her that. So, of course, I knew that I
didn't have any reasons to be angry with anybody, or to be disappointed, or
sad.
But I was. And I told her that. And I had to tell her what I was feeling.
Rationally, I knew that I shouldn't be feeling the way I was, but
emotionally I had no control. And she understood and a time later all was
fine. My brother never really used his bike, and I have ridden my old one
until after university.

I understood Will's post as something similar. He was telling us about his
feelings, emotions. But I never had the impression that he didn't know why
people react the way they do. And we all play mostly for ourselves, being
egoistic human beings, and that's ok, if not driven to excesses. I don't see
a problem in stating that I play for my own enjoyment.
I guess that we all are kind of emotional outlets for harmonica related
issues for one another :-)

All the best,
Fernando, going south (south west, to be more accurate)