Dropped in a Bucket

Talking about a bucket list feels a bit cliché to me. But I do keep something like that floating in my subconscious, as happened back in 2006 when I made a secret vow to run a half marathon.

I did cross another “to do” from my list about two weeks ago. It involves the story of a guitar I have owned since I was 15

This Old Guitar flickr photo by cogdogblog shared into the public domain using Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication (CC0)

which I like to say I am still on the learning curve.

I’ve participated in a few Vancouver jams at the old Sanctuary space (RIP) and strummed along with Breaking Band back when I was in Kamloops in 2014. Yet I’ve never really performed in public, solo and I have had this nagging thought, much like the running one, that I ought to take this one at an open mic night.

I stalled a few times over years as two different ones at local coffee houses came and went with the coffee houses (as businesses do in these small towns). But when I heard my friend Tom was organizing a twice monthly open mic at our local THAT Brewery, I felt it was time to just plunge.

As I help out THAT Brewery with some web site writing, I had Tom over a few weeks ago to record a podcast about the open mic night. His ~~arm-twisting~~ got me there a month ago.

No dropping that mic, I did it, doing my takes on Bob Dylan’s Buckets of Rain and Maggie’s Farm with some harmonica action too (it took my a while, Bryan Jackson, but you suggested the harp long ago).

I stalled for a while claiming I wanted my food, but at some point, I tired of being nervous and asked to go on. The biggest unknown / worry was how well I’d be able to hear what the heck I was playing. But Tom’s audio set up, and a small room, took care of that.

Photo by Tamara Morken

I care less if it sounded good and more that I did it. I only mention it now because I am way behind on blogging and… tomorrow night is my chance to test if I was just a once trick dog or if I can do it again.

Rather than keeping a bucket list I’d rather fill a bucket with stuff I took on despite the voices of doubt.

Featured Image: Is This Thing On? flickr photo by cogdogblog shared into the public domain using Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication (CC0)