A slight edge can cut

Happy Friday.

I should open up a Rock 'n Roll restaurant that's named "TJIF" (Thank Jimi It's Friday.)

Competition. This is a theme I keep yelling about (and I bet I'm yelling louder than you!)

It seems like when we're on the bottom rung of any discipline, we have no competition. We know we're nothing, we look to the upper echelons with an inspirational awe, and we buckle down and work. We can learn a lot in this mindset.

Interestingly enough, as soon as we're on the second rung of this endless ladder, competition enters with a force.

I was at the gym the other day. (Turns out this weightlifting is going to teach me a lot about music.) Anyways, a guy walked in who was skinnier than I was. My eyes almost bugged out of my head! In the three weeks I've been a member, I've been the smallest, weakest, most pathetic ape in that apehouse. All of the other guys are so strong, you just tune 'em out, and go about benching fuzzy slippers, or something heavy like that.

But there was skinny dude. "Ah ha!" I said. "Look at that fool - he's not lifting that bar correctly."

Wow. I realized how stupid my inner dialogue sounded. Here I was, and I don't even know how to do a dozen things correctly on that floor. But since I was now on the second rung, that slight edge was cutting me. And instead of concentrating on my workout, I started comparing. And the gym is the wrong place to do that.

So is the guitar. Why is it that we're so fiercely competitive when it comes to the instrument? Our quest to rule gets pretty nasty sometimes. And what's the point, anyway? I've said it before, and I'll say it again. The guitar, treated in this manner, is a useless, overpriced, fancy noisemaker.

This slight edge, being every so slightly stronger, faster, or more knowledgeable, is deadly.

I've read about it in stories - Two friends are alone in the world, in dire poverty, and without hope. Suddenly, one friend receives unexpected slightly good fortune, and instead of sharing it's joys, uses it to set himself above his friend.

Perhaps it's two normal people, muddling along in their day. One friend does well in the stock market, and buys his way out of his current class situation. Leaving, of course, the other party to be looked down upon.

I've also heard this happens in social issues around the world.

The twisted logic to this is: If there's someone to look down upon, then I must be climbing up!

You can see how dangerous, and unhealthy, this logic is. It just feels bad, too!

I propose an idea: Don't compare to other people. But if you really must, compare yourself to your past skills. If you can play better than you did a year ago, super. If you can play better than you did a week ago, superb. Imagine the guitarist from last week as a separate person, and you can pit your current skills against them.

Hopefully, you'll win every time.

But why play to win? How about...Play for playing's sake?