Ain't much of a song, just me playing a blues progression and blowing on the harp, until Howard came by and interrupted me by giving me the dollar that I used to come downtown with, where I am now...
I feel like a fisherman with a leaky boat.
Things have fallen into disrepair; the harp is missing reeds and the ones that sound, sound like you hear in the recording I made this afternoon.
The guitar is on its last legs, and its last pegs.
It is Thursday night and I don't see many people out at 10:40, but, I suppose I have food money on my card and I won't starve; and I could sit down and play something for my own amusement and maybe wake up with some money in my pocket.
I don't want to wait much longer for the ID from the homeless place. There will be homeless places in other places and I'm sure they will help me get an ID, so that I can at least work.
The Hawk That Disembowels It
I don't want to go the crazy check route, at this point, because I think it would sap some of my ambition (what ambition?) like when a family in our neighborhood fed a squirrel when we were kids and the squirrel lost its ability to forage and when the family moved away, the squirrel continued to hang around their house, looking scrawnier each day...
I don't want to be that squirrel; I want to be the hawk that swoops down and disembowels it.
Well, it's time to sit down and try to play. Things are pretty bleak.
I just need about 10 bucks to get an AC adapter for the Samsung, so I can charge it up and have a more mobile recording solution.
Then, a few bucks to take the bus back to Scotlandville, and maybe a few more to take the Megabus to Houston.
There is a guitar that plays better than mine that I can get from a local pawn shop for probably 25 bucks.
It is a Telestar brand. Made in Japan by Kawai in the 60's.
I researched it, and it defies logic by not being a piece of shit. I mean "made in Japan" used to translate to: "Is crap."
I think the term used in the early 70's was "cheap" everything made in Japan was "cheap" and would fall apart.
I remember the first Toyota I ever saw, in 1971 or so, and hearing the comment made that you could dent the thing with your fist.
But, I played this guitar and it is actually solid, kind of heavy, even; and cheap! er, I mean inexpensive, based upon some minor damage to the body which wont effect the sound, but will support me in appearing like the homeless, traveling musician, which is my tradestock.
Well, I had better at least attempt to make at least enough for a lousy can of beer...
I think you're in a bit of a trap. You're like an airplane that can't maintain altitude - you're not crashing, but you're not even able to maintain level flight. And after some time, you *will* crash.
ReplyDeleteYou need to change something. I don't think getting a crazy check is going to kill your motivation. You're extremely motivated, I've seen that you work on your music no matter what. I don't think doing panhandling would harm your ambition either. I think you need to change the equation somehow because you're sinking slowly...
If you can get a ssi check, i say freaking do it. They are tough to get tho unless you are a good actor or really have a disability. It automatically comes with a medical card. Those checks run like what, 6-700 a month. With that you can get a mail delivery service (with real address..which means residency), a used van to travel and sleep in (and privacy/security) and steady funds to keep your instruments tuned. A couple months in throw a battery and a solar panel on that sucker and you'll be set. Then you can busk for 'art', gas to the next area or better equipment.
ReplyDeleteYou just have to be stubborn and never give up.
ReplyDeleteit's something like $800 a month, AKA a King's ransom that you'd have to work your nuts off for otherwise.
Last year I made a bit over $25 a day, over the course of the year. I was extremely hard-working, lucky, etc. I doubt Daniel's averaging $20 a day.
The cheapest way to live isn't in a car. It's in a room or small apartment, in an area where you can busk, scrounge, beg, scavenge, etc. That's what the high rollers like Sherman, with crazy checks, get to do.
I went to downtown San Jose today and talked with a GREAT guitar player, a black guy named Errol, who I could hear from quite a distance away - his secret? GOOD playing and a nylon string guitar. He says he NEVER breaks strings. Guy's got some mad chops, says learn Classical first so at least you know the basics, then you'll never over power the guitar etc. Great guy and if you ever get out here I'll have to hook you up with him. The park I met him in is full of homeless people but it seems to be really mellow, and it was a beautiful day.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're not in jail or something but I fear you are. Take care of yourself.
I was thinking jail too. :(
ReplyDeleteGeez. It has to be jail, some kind of sickness or injury, or he's on the road, just decided to start thumbin' it, and has decided to not bother with updates until he gets where he's headed (this last very unlikely).
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned before, he's been like an airplane that's struggling to maintain altitude, and is sinking slowly. Something has to happen, or be made to happen, to change the slow sinking into either a climb, or, sadly, a faster sink!
I think jail is most likely, and all I can say is, at least in jail he might get some rest.
I hope he's OK and, the nylon string guitar, I think, is a great idea. I can sure hope he's hitching his way out here to Cali and then I can hook him up with Errol and he can be a happy bum among the happy bums of San Jose.
OK ol' buddy I have a feeling you're in jail. And probably got 30 days because you've been off of here over 20. I guess the soonest we can expect to hear from you is the 9th or 10th.
ReplyDeleteI hope the "vacation at the greybar hotel" is relaxing!
Man they give you 60 days? 6 months?
ReplyDeleteI'm in San Jose now and in a way, almost homeless. I'm living in a building owned by one friend and rented by another. No running water although that's not the problem I thought it might be. No more car, my Volvo blew up. I decided the Survivalism stuff is mostly a crock of shit and wanted to get back where the busking is easy. I also decided the violin is too much hassle and too delicate and have equipped myself with a $70 pawn-shop clarinet.
You could make a decent living out here. In the evening the traffic noise isn't too bad and there's only one street musician I know of here, right in San Jose, a guy who plays flute and sounds ehhhh ok. Nice guy.
I'm living on about $20 a day and living off of selling stuff on Craig's List for now but practicing every day and can't wait to hit the streets. As soon as I can pull off any little blues riff, I'm there.