Encouragement anyone?

Why are the people that should support you and encourage you the most, the ones that always seem to want to make sure you never enjoy life any more than they do? You'd think that certain people would be happy for you when things go well, but there's something inside them that says... "Whoa there, feller, aspiring to anything is dangerous stuff". Maybe it is, but I love danger. A quest for the unknown, being in a fast car, exploring somethnig new, ...you get the idea.

Case in point. I love playing music. I love travelling and playing music for new people. As a songwriter, the feeling when a new face "gets" what you've written, it's amazing. This is what I was created to do. I feel complete. But some people want to say, "You just make sure to keep a decent job", "as long as I know it's a hobby", "make sure to spend more time with those you love", "you'll get into all kinds of trouble on the road, guaranteed", and the list goes on and on. You know what? You may be right, you may be wrong. I don't care. I'm not going to sit on my hands for 75 years and never do anything with myself. I could work a 40 hour a week job, but it would literally kill me by age 40. Heart attack or stroke, dead. Why shouldn't I do something I love? I can't help it if you compromised your calling. We've finally finished our CD after over two years of struggling, scraping together loose change, and losing blood, sweat, and tears over this project. Could you be happy for us for a moment? (As an aside, please check out a couple of these songs at http://www.myspace.com/fastestturbofireengine. Let me know what you think!)

Or, recently I bought a new car. I don't want to brag, so I'll just say it's old, but fast, powerful, and in great shape. I got a killer deal on it. But again I hear, "I thought you were going to get something more practical", "those are way too expensive to maintain", "replacement parts will be rare and expensive", "was that a smart decision?", etc, etc. Keep in mind, that not one of these people has ever owned this type of vehicle, much less know a lot about cars. None of them understand that I and my car-knowledgeable friends will be able to do most of the maitenence ourselves. The engines and trannies last forever. I can easily find parts on the internet. They are solid and safe. That, to me, says practical. I like it a lot. Could they be excited for me for a minute? That, apparently, is too much to ask.

I believe that we need to encourage each other and be happy when those we care about are happy. I also believe that when those we care about are sad, we need to be sad with them. As frustrated as I am, I realize that I still need to treat these people lovingly, and hope that I can make their lives a little bit better.