A New Year’s Tale
January 1, 2024
by Walter Oden
“George! George! Get over here. I want you to hear something!” Silence was followed by another voice.
“What?”
“George, I need you to hear something right now!”
“Ok, ok. Give me a minute.”
Another round of silence filled the void.
“OK. What do you need John?”
“Come over here and listen to this!”
Suddenly, the silence was replaced with the sound of a single acoustic guitar.
“That is what you wanted me to hear? Isn’t that a little rough? I mean, it isn’t very good. It sounds like a beginner?”
“George, it’s a kid learning how to play guitar. Give him a break. Don’t listen to the quality of play, listen to the notes and chord progressions. Can you hear it?”
George leaned over and looked at the kid playing and saw it was a young man under a single lamp in his room. He had a beginner chord book opened and was struggling to transition between chords.
“Hmm, I think I hear what you are talking about John . Did he just accidently play a C Ad 9 instead of the G Major he was trying to play?”
“Exactly! He doesn’t realize that accidental chord combinations are part of the process of songwriting!”
“Honestly John, you are one different animal. George chuckled, “You always were by the way. You could see and hear things we never could.”
“George, I always saw you the same way. That’s why I called you over!”
“Ok John, what do you want to do with this? Should we give him some inspiration?”
“Yes George! He doesn’t know his potential. He needs an injection of inspiration to stick with the guitar. He has to push through the early years to be able to believe he can create.”
“John, are you ever going to rest? It is not your job to police all up and coming world talent.”
“What else am I going to do? Don’t you still pick up your guitar every day?”
“Yes John, I get it.”
Just then, a man with a southern accent entered the room.
“Boys! I see you found one! Are you going to give him inspiration?”
Both George and John’s faces lit up.
“How are you Buddy! John and I haven’t seen you in so long!”
“Why have you been such a stranger Buddy?”, said George.
“Well, you know. Time just flies by here. The past, present and future all seem to be the same. It’s easy to lose track of time, but I am so glad to see you both.”
John smiled and said “I guess this must be pretty funny to you. I think you were having the same conversation about our miserable instrument play.”
Buddy sat down and smiled. “Yes, you guys were rough. Yet, from up here I could see your potential. You had each other which helped. Although there was a risk that all that bickering was going to end your collaboration before it got really good!”
George laughed. “That bickering wasn’t our fault. It was Paul’s!”
They all busted out laughing.
Buddy stood up and said, “Well, let’s all send our inspiration to this young man. Then, we can all watch what comes.”
Suddenly, a whole bunch of people started appearing in different corners of the room.
Buddy Holly, John Lennon, and George Harrison all looked up.
Chuck Berry chimed “You boys ready to jam?”
Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Roy Orbison all started smiling while instruments appeared in their hands.
Tom Petty and Prince just sat there observing in the corner.
A whole bunch of instruments started playing with what sounded like a sound check at the symphony.
Carl Perkins yelled over to Dennis Wilson “How’s the surf been? I still find it strange how only one beach boy actually surfed!”
Another burst of laughter filled the room.
“Perfect break every day!”, then he laughed, and a drum set magically appeared.
Phil and Don Everly chirped “Are we going to play or what?”
John sat in front of a microphone and said,
“Ok, ok. A one, two, three…four”
As the best out of this world jam session began, the sound suddenly was replaced by that little boy.
The same unclean acoustic chords got a little better. He suddenly had an inspiration. As he started playing a chord progression he realized that he was on to something.
He stopped, picked up his guitar and ran down the hall.
“Mom, mom! Listen to this!!!”
Epilogue
Buddy Holly
If consciousness is eternal, so is time. The past, present and future all exist simultaneously.
John Lennon
What is inspiration? More importantly, where does it come from? Is it a random brain event or something more cosmic? Scientists debate the connection between conscientiousness and the quantum world. Our cosmos is filled with over a trillion galaxies. Each of those galaxies is equally filled with billions and billions of stars and planets. This same cosmos has what we call black holes where nothing can escape their gravity.
George Harrison
Human history is also connected with rich religious traditions. Are we on the precipice of finally merging historical religious beliefs and science?
Chuck Berry
Therefore, why not ask the question about inspiration? Are world changing ideas things that already exist in the universe? Could true inspiration just be information just waiting to be received by the correct conduit?
Carl Perkins
More importantly, how do these ideas become reality? Humans that receive this inspiration are not always aware of the significance of their epiphany. Inspiration is more than an idea. It is a potential idea with a sprinkling of motivation, obsession, belief, and passion.
Dennis Wilson
I often wonder how many great ideas are conceived and let go. This is because the recipient of the inspiration may not believe it’s a good idea or it isn’t worth the time to pursue it. They might not believe in their abilities to take a concept to completion.
Everly Brothers
Wouldn’t it be cool if another worldly consciousness has a role in really inspiring moments? How would we know? What would be the signs?
I wish everyone an inspiring 2024!
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I Have an Idea 