memories and inspirations
That smile you get when you meet one of your heroes… Rik Emmett of Truimph.
It’s been too long since I took the time to share a few words with my five or so subscribers. So please accept my apologies—no excuses. To be honest, I just haven’t felt the urge to write much for fun lately. Maybe I’m missing all the great fodder because of my break-up with Facebook. To be fair, Jenni does keep me current on some of the crazier things people post. Those would-be-funny-if-it-wasn’t-for-the-fact-that-these-nutjobs-think-it’s-okay-to-post-this-stuff moments are great reinforcement that Facebook and I should stay exes.
But not being on Facebook also has its downside. For instance, I’ve missed out on plenty of recent blogposts from my old classmate, Marie Loerzel, who is one of the more talented and entertaining writers I have encountered. I have her site bookmarked (is that still a thing?), but I can’t for the life of me figure out how to just subscribe to it so I don’t have to rely on my aging memory. Marie? Someone else who is more technologically gifted than I am (a.k.a., the average 10-year old)? Help a brother out, would you?
I also miss some of the more inspiring stories and moments than find their way onto social media. I’ve definitely had inspiring experiences since firing Facebook. Just about every conversation I have with either of my children inspires me in some way (it’s Christmas Eve, so you’ll just have to deal with a few doses of the sentimental).
I also met one of my childhood idols—Rik Emmett of Triumph—when he played an acoustic show in Nashville in September. Any of you who have read Newton’s Third Law (or any of you who knew me at all in the 80s and 90s) know the influence Rik and Triumph had on me growing up, so meeting him alone was pretty amazing. I brought two copies of the book with me—he signed one and I gave him the other. I have no idea if he’ll ever read it, or if he reads at all. But he was kind and gracious and real… all I could have asked for.
Enough preamble. My point in all this is that inspirations can be everywhere—sometimes much closer to home than you notice. Much like Rik, my cousin Mike Gagliardi was an inspiration to me. He is probably the most talented person I know. He’s easily the best hockey player Lockport, New York has ever produced. And that’s as much a fact as green olives being the best pizza topping and blue cheese over ranch on wings. So please don’t even try to argue. It makes you look silly.
“Ace” was also our rock star in high school. And—also like Rik—he’s turned his attention to more folksy music in his middle years.
Just a couple weeks ago, he sent me a text with a link to a song he wrote about what growing up felt like for us in his House on the Ridge (which was right next to mine). He and his son, Matt, added a bunch of old photos and produced a little video story that conjures up memories of a simpler time. A time when we didn’t care about much more than whether the ice was thick enough to skate on.
So take five minutes to watch this now… I’ll be back to sum up when you’re done.
Don’t be embarrassed. It makes me well up in a way I haven’t since… well, it was a long time ago. I hope it made you smile some, too, thinking of simpler times in your lives. You should definitely subscribe to Matt’s YouTube channel to see more of Mike’s music. But keep in mind that Matt is 21, so I can’t be responsible for any other videos you may find there.
For me, I just want to say thank you to all the Gagliardis, Provenzanos, and Van Koughnets who made those years on the Ridge so special. And especially to Mike—brother you’ve endured more than your fair share of obstacles in life, and you always find a way to keep smiling. More than that—you make other people smile with your gifts. Thank you for showing me that some of the strongest inspiration can be right under our noses. And for being the kick in the ass to get me writing again. Merry Christmas!
Cheers!
