Social Currency

The bought my first musical instrument for $3.50. I paid for it with a handful of change. It was a blue electric bass; a four string put out by Memphis. The neck was split, there were no strings, and the electronics were a jumbled up mess. I fixed the next, bought some strings, and rewired the mess (miraculously). The next week I learned “Zombie,” by the Cranberries and joined a band. There was always a part of me, even though I knew I was the most unlikely candidate, that dreamed of “making it big,” of walking the stage like my heroes, Thom Yorke, Bono, Richard Ashcroft, and wielding that influential currency that our society allows.

Good times—twelve years ago.

Things change. I found out the lightning blue bass was stolen ($3.50) so I gave it back. A few trades later, and I don’t even own a bass—just two cheap guitars and a synth. But, there is a small part of me that still wouldn’t mind making it big. The swagger, the currency, the notoriety mean so little…just the opportunity to be heard.