Get A Job

I was asked a little while ago when the last time was I had a "real" job.  I assumed by real, he meant the regular nine to fiver with the hateful boss and slacker secretaries.  I had to think about it.  I'm a musician.  Only a handful of people in my life recognize that as what I do, but yes, I'm a musician.  I've performed professionally since I was in high school.  I sang for money at my first wedding when I was a sophomore.  I sang that Eddie Rabbit/Crystal Gayle song, "Just You and I" (which is a little humorous because it's a duet and it was just me with a Lowrey Organ--could it be anymore cheesy?)  I also sang the Lord's Prayer.  I was too young to understand the significance of this song.  Both songs were pretty bad in retrospect, but I'd had a taste of  "singing for my supper".  To this day, I don't remember how much the bride paid me.  It probably didn't even cover my gas.  But I do remember thinking to myself:  "I can get paid to do this?"

Back in those days, fame seemed more attainable.  Like I could actually sing my way--in weddings--to stardom.  Chuckle.  However, as the years rolled by and I messed up my life even more, music went farther away than the back burner.  I still sang and played, but making sense of the what was happening to me became more important.  I never did lose that strange desire to entertain people.  I've come back to it in the last 20 years.  Don't make the star cash I'd hoped for when I was 16, but it's fun and people like to hear me play and sing.  Ah well.  Maybe one day I'll get a job.