How Lack of Support Equals Motivation
I love my mother. I adore my mother. She has her faults, but without them she wouldn't be herself. I cannot thank her enough for all she has done for me growing up. But when it came around to kick start my guitar playing, my mother gave me the best advice a son chasing his dreams could ever ask for; she told me, "you suck." In Spanish of course, because that's just how my mommy rolls.
I bought my first guitar at age 16, after working my butt off at my uncle's meat market. With my savings, I headed down to the nearest Best Buy and bought myself the basic starter kit, that included my first guitar, amplifier, strings, and cables. My mother scolded me every step of the purchase and pretty much scolded me for the next 8 years. A basic understanding of my family to drive my point; they really are the judgmental type, always quick to hate on something they do not approve of.
So, yes I wanted to play guitar, not become a soccer player. I wanted to write songs and perform in front of people, rather than just be bland by going to school and work towards a Monday through Friday 9 to 5 desk job. ( No offense if that's what you do, it's simply not for me) I wanted a hobby other than just dancing at quincenieras or drinking at bars talking how much Vicente Fernandez is on the same level as Jesus Christ. My point here, is that my family has a strong Mexican culture, and at times, leaves them very close minded.
This train of thought carried true with my mother. I remember her shouting at me how it was a complete waste of time to learn an instrument. There is no money to be made in it. You are distracting yourself from school. You will get into drugs. You will drop out to chase a stupid dream. Your grandma is looking down from Heaven, and she is disappointed in you. She says this all in Spanish of course, because that's just how my mommy rolls
We lived in a one bedroom apartment at the time,and I would use our teeny tiny closet to quietly practice my guitar. All our clothes inside would muffle out the sound from the neighbors, and of course my mom. When you start off learning an instrument, it is not going to sound lovely.(Kudos if you are just naturally gifted at it) It takes time and patience, hours of discipline, and what I believe is the most important factor: motivation.
So thank you mommy for telling me I suck. Thank you family for believing I would become a drug addict/alcoholic(To this day, I have never smoked, and I never drink, so suck on that!) Thank you for the lack of support throughout the years. It only motivated me more and more, not to just prove my family wrong, but to showcase that chasing a dream can be done while keeping up with reality. I'm still working full-time, still attending college, and I am still playing music and enjoying it every single step of the way. Thank you familia, I could not have done it without all of you.
I bought my first guitar at age 16, after working my butt off at my uncle's meat market. With my savings, I headed down to the nearest Best Buy and bought myself the basic starter kit, that included my first guitar, amplifier, strings, and cables. My mother scolded me every step of the purchase and pretty much scolded me for the next 8 years. A basic understanding of my family to drive my point; they really are the judgmental type, always quick to hate on something they do not approve of.
So, yes I wanted to play guitar, not become a soccer player. I wanted to write songs and perform in front of people, rather than just be bland by going to school and work towards a Monday through Friday 9 to 5 desk job. ( No offense if that's what you do, it's simply not for me) I wanted a hobby other than just dancing at quincenieras or drinking at bars talking how much Vicente Fernandez is on the same level as Jesus Christ. My point here, is that my family has a strong Mexican culture, and at times, leaves them very close minded.
This train of thought carried true with my mother. I remember her shouting at me how it was a complete waste of time to learn an instrument. There is no money to be made in it. You are distracting yourself from school. You will get into drugs. You will drop out to chase a stupid dream. Your grandma is looking down from Heaven, and she is disappointed in you. She says this all in Spanish of course, because that's just how my mommy rolls
We lived in a one bedroom apartment at the time,and I would use our teeny tiny closet to quietly practice my guitar. All our clothes inside would muffle out the sound from the neighbors, and of course my mom. When you start off learning an instrument, it is not going to sound lovely.(Kudos if you are just naturally gifted at it) It takes time and patience, hours of discipline, and what I believe is the most important factor: motivation.
So thank you mommy for telling me I suck. Thank you family for believing I would become a drug addict/alcoholic(To this day, I have never smoked, and I never drink, so suck on that!) Thank you for the lack of support throughout the years. It only motivated me more and more, not to just prove my family wrong, but to showcase that chasing a dream can be done while keeping up with reality. I'm still working full-time, still attending college, and I am still playing music and enjoying it every single step of the way. Thank you familia, I could not have done it without all of you.
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