Heroes

I don’t think you’re ever too old to have heroes. What defines a personal hero may shift over time but I sincerely hope that everyone has at least one person that they look up to.

When I was a kid I worshipped Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs. I have no idea what drew me to him. Maybe it was because I played third base as he did but it could just as easily have been the fact that he had a moustache and my dad had a moustache. Lay off. I was 8.

I got into music and guitars and starting idolizing Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Buddy Guy. Ask any rookie 13 year old guitar player why Jimi Hendrix is so awesome and 9 out of 10 times they will tell you it is because he lit his guitar on fire. If they say this it just means they aren’t really paying attention but either was I at that age.

I hit college and starting working for a well-known jazz guitar wizard…which is to say no one has heard of him outside of the jazz world. At first it was the greatest thing. I was on the inside. I was working for a musical God. I had 14 Grammy Awards on my desk and gold records hanging from the wall. It was magic.

Any magic trick is smoke and mirrors in the end. As I dove deeper into the business side of this guy’s career the more normal he became. He wasn’t a music God anymore as he was a guy I knew that was an exceptional musician. It was his job just like you or I go to work everyday. He just happened to have an audience. The day the magic died?

After that debacle ran its course I started paying more attention to who people were and how their character revealed itself through their talents. I started latching onto those people who worked harder than anyone. I sought out the stories that exemplified dedication and devotion. I was looking for these things because that is what I wanted for myself.

At the ripe old age of 29 I still have my heroes. Sean D. Tucker and Mike Goulian have received their share of attention in this little blog of mine so I wont bore you with further exaltations. They both sit on top of the airshow industry as the most visible and successful performers out there. I have met them both on several occasions. You almost expect someone that does this type of flying to be drenched in ego. Somehow, they have maintained their humility after all these years. That’s what I hope to do. They are proof that this is all possible.

A few months ago I wrote to Mike. I guess at his email address. I was right. We’ve written back and forth a few times and now I am going to go fly with him next week. I have no idea what I want to get out of it. I suppose flying with someone that has achieved as much as he has I’ll take anything I can from the experience.

It is funny though. I’ve been asked a few times how I managed to arrange a flight with Mike Goulian. I asked. Simple as that. Moral of the story: don’t be afraid to say something. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, right?