Article 2

 Everybody gets down time and up time, sometime. With that said, I begin this article. Recently, I had some serious disappointing down time that I used for reflection and understanding instead of feeling suicidal or pathetic.

You know, that sort of down time takes out some people because it feels permanent: I put the emphasis on the word "feels" because, reality has its ups, downs and turn around realities that always are better understood if you look at them with patience, understanding, tolerance, and not taking for granted. Sure, feelings are an accurate meter when looked at with objectivity, patience and understanding. When taken too literally though with fear, and misunderstanding, they are a disaster happening or waiting to happen. Hence, the suicidal, hopeless or pathetic feelings come to in a hasty or sickening way.

I look at it this way: As long as action can be actively taken, there is always hope and a chance for understanding what really happened, then making something way better happen through that understanding. Indeed, optimism is ultimately better than pessimism in that sense. But, there are no exceptions: If there is up time, there is down time, for everyone, however you may look at reality and it all depends on how you react to it realistically.

So, in my reality, all down time is preparation time, not time to feel hopeless or pathetic. There is not any shame in this reality. Anyone who thinks that failure is permanent as long as they are alive and able to remedy the situation really is a genuine fool as long as they think those sort of thoughts. On the other hand, the optimist who knows that things can ultimately be made better as long as they have a chance is using their intelligence correctly.

Indeed, perfection is only a mind created concept on paper and in daydreams, especially when we expect it to be instant, and the luck of the beginner to be repeatable. We must train and work to really achieve perfection in that sense, not expect it to be a given without work or process. Results come from action, they are not a given anyway.

When I think about good results, I think about the work it takes to earn them, I do not wait for a lucky start "out of the gate". Even if those lucky starts happen, I do not depend on them being repeatable, or if they do not happen, I do not look for them. I gain the skill to do what I need to do.

So, since this article is called "the blues", what makes a great musician, a genuinely great musician? Practice, execution, work and the creation of great music through that practice, execution and work. Same with life. Same with all existence. Do you need more story than that, or is the picture here complete?