What stopped you doing something else?
Discussion
A recent short conversation I had with someone made me think about a few things from when I was much younger about things I wanted to do / learn but something "got" in the way.
One example is that I really wanted to learn how to mix vinyl. I had a decent growing trance and happy hardcore vinyl collection, so I was going to buy some Technics 1210Mk2's and a mixer, but ultimately I bought a car instead and the rest is history. I sometimes wonder what could have been.
I wanted to learn to play the guitar as well, and started, but lack of enthusiasm / creativity and a desire to keep going out meant my guitar just sat there and just gathered dust.
Something else I wanted to learn was how to properly map car ECUs. Money stopped me lol.
I'm 40 now and I feel that learning to mix is probably pointless, learning the guitar would be just for my own enjoyment and mapping car ECUs, well, that's probably pointless too lol.
Anyone else had this?
One example is that I really wanted to learn how to mix vinyl. I had a decent growing trance and happy hardcore vinyl collection, so I was going to buy some Technics 1210Mk2's and a mixer, but ultimately I bought a car instead and the rest is history. I sometimes wonder what could have been.
I wanted to learn to play the guitar as well, and started, but lack of enthusiasm / creativity and a desire to keep going out meant my guitar just sat there and just gathered dust.
Something else I wanted to learn was how to properly map car ECUs. Money stopped me lol.
I'm 40 now and I feel that learning to mix is probably pointless, learning the guitar would be just for my own enjoyment and mapping car ECUs, well, that's probably pointless too lol.
Anyone else had this?
Fair comment! I don't think I let that stop me as I was in a relationship with my then fiancee when I wanted to learn to mix, and she wouldn't have stopped me.TheAngryDog said:
One example is that I really wanted to learn how to mix vinyl. I had a decent growing trance and happy hardcore vinyl collection, so I was going to buy some Technics 1210Mk2's and a mixer, but ultimately I bought a car instead and the rest is history. I sometimes wonder what could have been.
If you still have the vinyl it's never too late to revisit this- in some ways it's even easier now as there are a lot more alternative turntables out there now that are significantly cheaper than a pair of Technics! And pretty much any old mixer will do (£20/£30 on Gumtree etc).It's an extremely satisfying thing to learn that is very similar to riding a bike- at first it seems impossible, then all of a sudden it clicks and then for some reason you 'just know' how to do it forever regardless of how infrequently you do it.
Not a particularly useful skill in this day and age though- I still DJ weddings and various other events, and in the last 20 years my Technics and/or vinyl collection have only left my house when I've moved!
For a while I wanted to be an electrician- until I discovered I had an overwhelming fear of electricity/electrocution.
TheAngryDog said:
I wanted to learn to play the guitar as well, and started, but lack of enthusiasm / creativity and a desire to keep going out meant my guitar just sat there and just gathered dust.
Same here, hence why there are hundreds of starter guitar and amps for sale on eBay that are barely used. I find the thing that stops me doing things is my lack of motivation and desire to actually do them. Using that logic I don't feel I have really missed out as I clearly didn't have any desire to actually do them in the first place.
Joey Deacon said:
TheAngryDog said:
I wanted to learn to play the guitar as well, and started, but lack of enthusiasm / creativity and a desire to keep going out meant my guitar just sat there and just gathered dust.
Same here, hence why there are hundreds of starter guitar and amps for sale on eBay that are barely used. I find the thing that stops me doing things is my lack of motivation and desire to actually do them. Using that logic I don't feel I have really missed out as I clearly didn't have any desire to actually do them in the first place.
What do you mean by pointless? Career wise, or social?
In some ways it's easier to be social at beginner level. I know an older guy, who takes a mini 7 inch suitcase turnable and a handful of records to festivals, absolutely no skill but he rarely fails to get a gig at a small tent, usually covering for a fag break or whatever. He has a collection of selfies with some quite famous people!
Likewise, lots of jam bands of dubious quality welcome band members of all levels.
Just don't expect to make a career out of it!
Personally I prefer to play alone these days, so tend to play stuff that is more rewarding solo. Don't rule out solo stuff, it can be very rewarding to progress for it's own sake.
In some ways it's easier to be social at beginner level. I know an older guy, who takes a mini 7 inch suitcase turnable and a handful of records to festivals, absolutely no skill but he rarely fails to get a gig at a small tent, usually covering for a fag break or whatever. He has a collection of selfies with some quite famous people!
Likewise, lots of jam bands of dubious quality welcome band members of all levels.
Just don't expect to make a career out of it!
Personally I prefer to play alone these days, so tend to play stuff that is more rewarding solo. Don't rule out solo stuff, it can be very rewarding to progress for it's own sake.
Play competitive rugby when I left school, then I saw the size of the buggers I would be playing against.
Being 16 at the time made me realise I still had a lot of growing to do. One game was all it took
Also playing the violin. I started when I was 9 and passed quite a few exams and played solo at school concerts.
Then I was given a choice of individual tuition at school which coincided with games lessons, or playing rugby and football.
Like a fool I choose rugby and football.
The result was as above so I missed out on both.
To think I could have been another Nigel Kennedy
Being 16 at the time made me realise I still had a lot of growing to do. One game was all it took
Also playing the violin. I started when I was 9 and passed quite a few exams and played solo at school concerts.
Then I was given a choice of individual tuition at school which coincided with games lessons, or playing rugby and football.
Like a fool I choose rugby and football.
The result was as above so I missed out on both.
To think I could have been another Nigel Kennedy
I'm the reason I've stopped myself doing something else. Nothing I particularly regret.
Perhaps riding motorbikes. I've only ever held off because because I'm fairly useless on bikes, had a few bad MTB accidents, so the risk always felt greater than my desire to do it on cheap 200mph machines.
Perhaps riding motorbikes. I've only ever held off because because I'm fairly useless on bikes, had a few bad MTB accidents, so the risk always felt greater than my desire to do it on cheap 200mph machines.
Money is a big one like why did I not buy a 911 at 30 or 40 (cos I did not need one an did not want to waste the cash), why did i not take job in Singapore, just had a child etc. Guitar again I could have boought one but it was a fad from playing guitar hero. I put of riding a bike till 30 love it but not done it since i was 34, 42 now.
If i had infinate cash so a lotto win I would have more time but as it it work an kids take up most time
If i had infinate cash so a lotto win I would have more time but as it it work an kids take up most time
I always wanted to work in the US, in my 20's my company at the time (DHL) were sending brits out for fun, I half heartedly looked into it but as I had no university degree I would have not got a visa, i should have pursued it more at the time, now early 40's with kids and mortgage I often look back and regret not doing more to do something I really wanted to do.
I see updates from someone I worked with who was older than me still having a fantastic life with his wife and kids in San Fran, looks incredible
To be fair since turning 40 I seem to be looking back on lots of things thinking I wish I had done that differently, must be the mid life crisis!
I see updates from someone I worked with who was older than me still having a fantastic life with his wife and kids in San Fran, looks incredible
To be fair since turning 40 I seem to be looking back on lots of things thinking I wish I had done that differently, must be the mid life crisis!
Joey Deacon said:
Same here, hence why there are hundreds of starter guitar and amps for sale on eBay that are barely used.
I find the thing that stops me doing things is my lack of motivation and desire to actually do them. Using that logic I don't feel I have really missed out as I clearly didn't have any desire to actually do them in the first place.
I do tend to like your posts Joey There is a real sense of honesty and humour about them. Some of your stuff in the various relationship threads are mercilessly to the point.I find the thing that stops me doing things is my lack of motivation and desire to actually do them. Using that logic I don't feel I have really missed out as I clearly didn't have any desire to actually do them in the first place.
Squirrelofwoe said:
If you still have the vinyl it's never too late to revisit this- in some ways it's even easier now as there are a lot more alternative turntables out there now that are significantly cheaper than a pair of Technics! And pretty much any old mixer will do (£20/£30 on Gumtree etc).
It's an extremely satisfying thing to learn that is very similar to riding a bike- at first it seems impossible, then all of a sudden it clicks and then for some reason you 'just know' how to do it forever regardless of how infrequently you do it.
Not a particularly useful skill in this day and age though- I still DJ weddings and various other events, and in the last 20 years my Technics and/or vinyl collection have only left my house when I've moved!
For a while I wanted to be an electrician- until I discovered I had an overwhelming fear of electricity/electrocution.
The vinyl went in 2009 when I was on the bones of my arse sadly. A lot of it just isn't available easily now either.It's an extremely satisfying thing to learn that is very similar to riding a bike- at first it seems impossible, then all of a sudden it clicks and then for some reason you 'just know' how to do it forever regardless of how infrequently you do it.
Not a particularly useful skill in this day and age though- I still DJ weddings and various other events, and in the last 20 years my Technics and/or vinyl collection have only left my house when I've moved!
For a while I wanted to be an electrician- until I discovered I had an overwhelming fear of electricity/electrocution.
The turntables would need to be direct drive and most are / were belt drive which made mixing harder I am told. A lot of stuff these days seems to be all done via something like a MAC and software mixing. Seems to be a lost art.
You could always do some mixes for soundcloud and the like!
yeah being scared of electricity is quite a large barrier to entry for being an electrician!Joey Deacon said:
TheAngryDog said:
I wanted to learn to play the guitar as well, and started, but lack of enthusiasm / creativity and a desire to keep going out meant my guitar just sat there and just gathered dust.
Same here, hence why there are hundreds of starter guitar and amps for sale on eBay that are barely used. I find the thing that stops me doing things is my lack of motivation and desire to actually do them. Using that logic I don't feel I have really missed out as I clearly didn't have any desire to actually do them in the first place.
Squirrelofwoe said:
I think with certain things (where there is a learning element involved), the difficult bit is in the beginning where the learning curve is steep and the initial output is generally crap. That is where most give up. If you can overcome that initial difficulty spike, you tend to reach a level of competence where proceeding further becomes much more rewarding and therefore the hobby etc tends to stick long term.
I can be quite impatient. I think had I have stuck at things then maybe I would have gotten better and gotten the rewards. Hmmmmm.aparna said:
What do you mean by pointless? Career wise, or social?
In some ways it's easier to be social at beginner level. I know an older guy, who takes a mini 7 inch suitcase turnable and a handful of records to festivals, absolutely no skill but he rarely fails to get a gig at a small tent, usually covering for a fag break or whatever. He has a collection of selfies with some quite famous people!
Likewise, lots of jam bands of dubious quality welcome band members of all levels.
Just don't expect to make a career out of it!
Personally I prefer to play alone these days, so tend to play stuff that is more rewarding solo. Don't rule out solo stuff, it can be very rewarding to progress for it's own sake.
Mapping ECUs would be pointless from a career perspective as people are just happy to pay someone who is an electrician £200 to use a generic file to map their car (this is no exaggeration, I know this company exists) plus with 2030 and people wanting to move away from ICE cars it feels a short lived profession.In some ways it's easier to be social at beginner level. I know an older guy, who takes a mini 7 inch suitcase turnable and a handful of records to festivals, absolutely no skill but he rarely fails to get a gig at a small tent, usually covering for a fag break or whatever. He has a collection of selfies with some quite famous people!
Likewise, lots of jam bands of dubious quality welcome band members of all levels.
Just don't expect to make a career out of it!
Personally I prefer to play alone these days, so tend to play stuff that is more rewarding solo. Don't rule out solo stuff, it can be very rewarding to progress for it's own sake.
Learning to mix, well, maybe less pointless, but it wouldn't be something I could do socially due to hearing issues that I have.
Guitar. I can't play but think i'd be pretty good if I did. I see the greats play and I know what they're doing, why, what's coming next....
I have tried to learn but am cursed with a mix of a low boredom threshold and a lack of patience. So if I pick the guitar up in the morning with a book of chords and by lunchtime I'm not Eric Clapton then I tend to abandon the exercise.
I have tried to learn but am cursed with a mix of a low boredom threshold and a lack of patience. So if I pick the guitar up in the morning with a book of chords and by lunchtime I'm not Eric Clapton then I tend to abandon the exercise.
No need to be a Clapton, just being a competent strummer like Sheeran,
Lennon, Springsteen, Dylan, Petty, is all you need to be in a band or go solo.
I always think people starting on an acoustic, [ high action, wider fingerboard, thick strings ] puts folk off.
A well set up electric with thin strings is the way to go IMO.
Lennon, Springsteen, Dylan, Petty, is all you need to be in a band or go solo.
I always think people starting on an acoustic, [ high action, wider fingerboard, thick strings ] puts folk off.
A well set up electric with thin strings is the way to go IMO.
Squirrelofwoe said:
I think with certain things (where there is a learning element involved), the difficult bit is in the beginning where the learning curve is steep and the initial output is generally crap. That is where most give up. If you can overcome that initial difficulty spike, you tend to reach a level of competence where proceeding further becomes much more rewarding and therefore the hobby etc tends to stick long term.
This is the thing, they say it takes 10,000 hours of practice before you master a skill entirely, do the maths on that one. However, I do agree with you that if you can get past the initial difficulty curve and feel like you are making progress then it gets much easier. I think that pretty much sums up why people start things with enthusiasm and then give up because it is way more difficult than they thought.Not everyone is going to practice for 10,000 hours and there are all sorts of levels and abilities, however every single one of them had to get over that difficult first bit.
To quote Homer Simpson “Of course I’m not mad. If something’s hard to do, then it’s not worth doing. You just stick that guitar in the garage next to your short-wave radio, your karate outfit, and your unicycle and we’ll go watch TV.”
Whats on Second said:
I always think people starting on an acoustic, [ high action, wider fingerboard, thick strings ] puts folk off.
A well set up electric with thin strings is the way to go IMO.
Electric is what I started with. I am reminded that I used to play(ish) the acoustic when I was at primary school. Small chords but I seemed to manage it.... I recall making some BS excuse as to why I had to stop...A well set up electric with thin strings is the way to go IMO.
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