Playing music

When i was 17 years old i got a new bass for Christmas, A Mann which was a Fender Jazz bass copy made in Japan. The Japanese made really good copies in the 1970's. I still have it and i have put new electronics into it, so it sounds really good. My friend Mike borrowed it and being left handed, he changed the strings around. He got into a band called "Skates" and used it for gigs. I became the light man for the band and roadie. I bought myself another bass shortly after, a 1968 Gibson EB 2 tobacco sunburst semi acoustic, Which i still have as well, with a collection of other basses. I decided to take bass lessons and the teacher at the now defunct Edmonds Music, advised me to learn the guitar instead so i would understand the chords and learn more. I had a crappy acoustic with horrible action that i played for a couple of years in my high school guitar class. I continued to play all of the photo copies that i got at school, Country roads by John Denver, I'm leaving on a jet plane by Peter,Paul and Mary. Lodi and Have you ever seen the rain, by Creedence Clearwater revival. Playing all these songs burned the chord shapes into my brain. Playing on a crappy guitar made it way harder, but when i got to play a better one it was easier because i cut my teeth on a high action piece of crap. That was my first guitar, bass player self. I must have relearned playing dozens of times since, Starting with new teachers, new styles of music and new perspectives. If i could map out my brain, i would see layers and layers of groves worn into my Neurones and Synapses like a spider web all interconnected. Being persistent is the most important thing when learning anything. We tend to beat the crap out of ourselves when it comes to learning new things. One thing i have learned and continually have to remind myself is to be kind to my self. Being patient is not an easy thing to be in this fast paced world. To be good at anything takes a huge commitment and a lot of time and energy practicing. I ask my self i am any good? I don't know, I am ok, would be an honest answer, but more important i am persistent and always striving to get better. But it's not about being good, it's about challenging your self and loving what you do.