How well do you know people on social media? If you engage with them enough, interact through text-conversation, videos and images, over time I think most get to a point where they feel quite familiar and would say, yeah I know them. But how well do we really?
Last night someone I've interacted with quite a lot sent me a message telling me her real name and asking me to call her by it instead of her hive username. I thought it was a nice, friendly thing to do and it actually felt like we'd just met for the first time despite all of our interactions.
It made me think about all the things I've not made mention of or shared here on the blockchain...And prompted me to open up a little more.
I've not made any secret of what you'll read below and if you go back over the 35,500+ comments I've made you'll find references to it and I think I may have mentioned it in a post or two here and there, but I thought I'd formalise it.
Most know me as an outdoorsman, someone who is into hunting, firearms, wilderness survival, off-roading, kayaking and hiking...Yes, that's me. But I'm more than just those things. I'm a suit-wearing company executive, a former sportsman, motorcyclist, husband of thirty three years to a lovely wife called Faith, an uncle, a funny guy, serious also, intolerant to idiots, loyal and generous...So many things including...A musician! That's right. I'm a musician.
When I was four and a half years old my parents sat me down at a piano and I started to play. I began having lessons at five years old, and for years afterwards, reaching a very high level of competency. I would practice daily, except when I refused to (and go smacked for it) and was entered into many competitions, against my will. I'm not one to like the spotlight really, preferring to fade into the background. But there I was, performing in front of hundreds of people from the age of about seven. I hated it, but loved playing music.
We grew up with music in the house, classical mainly, which is partly why it means so much to me now. I listen to so many different genres though from country, heavy metal, classical, jazz, rock and so on; It's very difficult to label me as liking one over the other - This is all due to the fact my parents instilled some culture in us through music.
My family was very musical; My grandfather and his brothers, on my mum's side, were quite famous in their time back in the 1920's and my own father was pretty good too, although he had no formal training. It made sense that it would filter down.
I'd not say I was a music-geek as I played a lot of sport also and my life took me in many directions, but I could quite often be found at my piano playing something, or trying to. Scales, hundreds and hundreds of hours of scales and keyboard drills.
I went to a music high-school; That is, a school that specialises in music. They do the other stuff but the school was a feed-in to the Conservatorium of Music, university, which is where I was headed. But life has a way of changing directions and it's not where I ended up. There I delved into music history and the more in-depth theory aspect including composing.
Whilst at high school I started playing the trumpet and as I got better ended up as part of the school jazz band which performed at school events, entered inter-school, State and National, competitions and concerts and did some private stuff also. It was kind of cool to be honest, a taste of rock star life...Well sort of. This lead me into picking up the bass guitar and I learned to play that also...To a passable, but not great, level.
I'm fifty years old now and can still play the piano at a high level, although I'll admit I don't play a great deal anymore. I could probably still get a decent sound out of my bass guitar...And my trumpet...Well lets just say you probably don't want to be around when I attempt to get some noise out of my trumpet.
Like I said, I don't play the piano much although I have one. Every now and then I learn and practice a piece of music and play it for Faith as a gift. I'm learning the Bruno Mars song just the way you are right now, for just that purpose. This link will play it for you if you're not familiar.
I am a shy sort of character mostly and don't like to play in front of people so mostly it's just me and Faith. She likes it when I learn something for her though and it's nice to make her smile, although I still get nervous playing for her, and shy.
I'm not the best musician in the world, I'm good but not great, but I love the fact I have that element as part of my make up. Most people never expect it from me and I don't go advertising it in my real life; It's just a part of me that I hold back mostly, reserve for myself and Faith. It's unlikely you'll ever see me play, although I'll never say never.
So...How well do you know me? Well right now, if you read the text, you know me better than you did before. I think it's your turn now...What have you held in reserve about yourself on social media, the blockchain or any other? What skills or attributes do you have but keep to yourself online or in the real world?
Design and create your ideal life, don't live it by default - Tomorrow isn't promised.
Be well
Discord: galenkp#9209
