Tough

You only get tough from taking a beating. You only stay tough from taking regular beatings. I played my third gig in three days on the bass and I can feel all kinds of different pain from every little part of my finger ends. It got so bad that slapping was easier than plucking. Even then I burnt out my first and second reserve fingers. That just leaves me with my little finger and one more gig to play; I'm not sure those figures add up. Tomorrow I will present myself ready to play with some trepidation. I have a fear that one of my fingers will spurt a magnificent arc of crimson over the audience mid way through the first set regardless of how I will get to the end of the second. Lee Rocker once posted on his web site that he was getting up to speed on their tour because he'd played til his callouses blistered and bled. Respect is due. As it was when Dizzy had to play through cracked and broken lips because that was his job. When I was a kid music seemed like an easy option. Not so easy now.