For the past year, I have been going at my writing pretty hard. I’ve always loved writing and the process but until this last year, I just didn’t pursue it like I should. So for those asking, why now, here’s how it started.
Early October 2017, I was in New Jersey for work and meet up with a friend, wordsmith, and force of nature, Greg Santarsiero. He’s a father, business man, inspiration to the masses, and a stand up dude in any other aspect of life not previously mentioned. While the intention was to simply meet up, hit the gym, and acquire some wares from his new company, G Code Nutrition, the result was more lasting than I had anticipated.
My first encounters with Greg were an online forum, and then in person at the Arnold Classic Sports Festival as early back as 2008. Most of my interaction with him, and his ideals, were online and through his written work. His writing stands as a continuing motivational guide through the pitfalls of what the general populous considers normal. His outlook on most things is truly revolutionary and while I disregard 99% of other peoples opinions, I scrutinize his thoughts and actions and glean from them what I can apply to my own goals.
As the story continues, I had visited Atlantic City, NJ every year for the past 10 years for a trade show and almost every year, I contacted him to see if he could hook me up with his hometown gym in Brigantine, NJ. Last year I doubled down on my luck and asked if he’d be free to meet up at said gym and fortuitously, he was. We set a time and he offered a round trip ride and a muffin for breakfast.
While I hadn’t seen him in a couple years, our shared interests put us on common ground and we picked up where we left off. The 10 minute ride from the hotel over the bridge to Brigantine briefly covered family, life, and as has been my experience with Greg, a funny piece of conversation that finished with “that may make me sound like a communist, but I don’t think I’m off base…”. haha To be fair, our conversation on conditions of the common man were on point and very valid!!
The ensuing conversation inside Brigantine Fitness continued around those same topics, but in depth, and with conviction. A question came up about my go to Hendrix song…to which I stumbled mentally. A simple question at any other time by any other person and I would have phoned it in but, the topics of this day and his question gave me pause. But why?
Looking back now, I see that my interest in absorbing music had fallen off and I wasn’t consuming my inspirations as I should have. My writing had faded to non existent, I hadn’t dedicated much time to improving on the guitar, and while I played music daily, I hadn’t pursued it or anything with any determination. My passions had nestled down for a long winters nap. Luckily for me, this trip was like the vernal equinox of spring and I awoke, refreshed, and ready to pursue them again.
Greg, in my 10 years of experiences with him, has always lead by example and recently followed his heart and passion. With a family depending on him, the every day pressures, and his own self imposed stresses to succeed, he bet it all on himself and took that leap and left his steady paycheck to start his own company.
Hearing the conviction and determination to reach his goals push past the fear of failing was exactly the strike of inspiration that I needed to start writing again. And not just writing, but finding and absorbing every piece of music and inspiration that I could keep up with. It’s pushed me to get better at the things that I love and find new ways to express my passions.
So, now I write, all the time. With a renewed sense of purpose and ambition that has me about 10 articles behind. I write album reviews for a website, ink19.com to stay in the loop with music, and my blog for everything else that I find of interest. Some is personal and a lot of it is about music, which along with writing, I can’t live without.
If you’re interested in Greg’s company and how his products can work for you and your fitness goals, get him at any of the websites below.
At the service that the DuCett family held in Cedar Rapids, Michael’s mom Linda had told me that Michael would often be watching a martial arts movie and during the fight scenes Michael would say to her, that reminds me of Jeremy and I back in Cedar Rapids. I felt the pangs of guilt and sadness that I hadn’t continued that friendship and that we had lost contact. My only consolation was that he had fond memories of our friendship and what more can I ask of a friend.
Juxtaposed to Ian’s attention to the crowd, Colter Wall casually took the stage alone and treated the fans to a step back in time when a true cowboy/plainsman might sit next to a fire and serenade those around him. His Speedy Creek, Saskatchewan roots are proudly embedded in each song as much as his influences from guys like Marty Robbins or Willis Alan Ramsey.
In Oscar Wilde’s 1889 essay, The Decay of Lying he writes “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life”. Well, in Stephens case, I believe that his art imitates his life. He’s literally ground, bent, hammered, and forged his way into a builder of amazing instruments that reflect both his artistic eye for detail, and the dirt on his hands.
