How Michael Learned to Rock and Tear my Brain Apart

I just recently detached myself from being myself, and interestingly document why I think like me.

Blame it on MLTR, that is Michael Learns To Rock. Seriously. 

I had lunch, went to a local convenient store for a few minutes of bliss, water and air conditioning.  MLTR’s “The Actor” plays. Here’s how it went:

(0-15 seconds)  Knowing it had a guitar part in the middle, my mind recalls an old guitar playing peer from church, who learned the part note for note. That clean, chorused strat tone that I loved, which led me to

(16-40 seconds) remember that song was a staple when you wanted to be a part of the scene – being with working top 40 (show) bands - and recall the simple joys of having a minimum of analog effects chained to your guitar maximized to cover every guitar tone from MLTR to beyond. Now, my memory banks simulate the smell of cigarette smoke and used oil permeating the deep-fry dishes served on nightly joints which, played basketball on TV while the house bands play – my mecca – my music education 201.

(1^st minute) Now musing on the MLTR track we played in a college band to gather swoons and oohs as opposed to the testosterone drive of Ugly Kid Joe and early Metallica , covered by “other” bands who looked down on top 40 bands and any band who did not do Metallica and Ugly Kid Joe.

(Chorus before instrumental)

Now wondering if my former band in college can ever gather in the future, and forget why we fought like cats on the most mundane things, and if we can still convincingly do Europe’s “Final Countdown” 20 pounds and 20,000 white hairs later, and wonder if ever I gave the board exams just a shot, or if I had enough guts to talk to that girl from the other college, or how different it is it to afford a full meal right now when I survived on crackers and cup soup during thesis, or if I really wanted to be an engineer, or how it could have been if I was a full pledged engineer…

-GUITAR SOLO- Brain freezes

(post guitar solo clocking to closing ) Nope, I never gave the board examinations a shot.

I did not talk to that girl. Meals are affordable now but not necessarily healthy.

I never wanted to be an engineer anyway.  My teachers and grades confirm it a thousand times.

But damn, I am still a musician.

And I must get back to government work in 2 minutes.  

Whether I love this job or not is immaterial. It is simply for the reason below:

So I won’t go back to cup soup and crackers.  Thanks Michael.