In 2000, the great musician John Fahey (1939-2001) released a collection of autobiographical stories called How Bluegrass Music Destroyed My Life. I love that title, mostly because of what it's not: it's not How The Lifestyle of a Bluegrass Musician Destroyed My Life or How Drinking Destroyed My Bluegrass Career or whatever. No; it says what it says--that it was the very act of pursuing his dream, not the costs associated with it, that destroyed his life.
It bears remembering that it's John Fahey saying this, so it can't be dismissed as just another case of someone who's delusional and wastes his life trying to become great at something he has no talent towards. Fahey was an incredibly talented musician, and a reasonably successful one as well. Given how great he was at his music, it's hard to believe that there was anything else he could be even better at. Music was his true calling. Following his true calling ruined his life. Despite what your guidance counselor told you, this can happen.
It bears remembering that it's John Fahey saying this, so it can't be dismissed as just another case of someone who's delusional and wastes his life trying to become great at something he has no talent towards. Fahey was an incredibly talented musician, and a reasonably successful one as well. Given how great he was at his music, it's hard to believe that there was anything else he could be even better at. Music was his true calling. Following his true calling ruined his life. Despite what your guidance counselor told you, this can happen.
But couldn't it simply be the case that Fahey should have written about "how drinking destroyed" his bluegrass career (and life), and that he was confused? I don't disagree that he was a tremendous talent, or that his natural calling was playing the guitar, but conflation is an easy game in the guitar playing/drinking arena, no?
ReplyDeleteYou're 100% right--I wrote the post as if I was absolutely sure that Fahey's case is a good example of my thesis (that following your dream can ruin your life). In fact, I don't know this at all, but he could have been confused, or his title could have a different meaning to him than it does to me. I chose to use him as an example only because the title of his book is such a great slogan for illustrating the thesis.
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